Jaipur: As 2025 draws to a close, Rajasthan’s political story remains incomplete without mentioning the unprecedented churn in its bureaucracy. Under Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, the year emerged as one of the most decisive and disruptive periods for the state’s administrative machinery, marked by rapid transfers, the rise of new power centres, and a clear assertion of authority by the new government.
From the Secretariat to the sub-divisional level, no chair appeared permanent. Between January 1 and December 19, 2025, the government issued more than 70 transfer lists, moving over 1,100 officers across departments. The reshuffle cut across services — IAS, IPS, and RAS — signalling a systematic attempt to realign governance with the government’s vision of good governance and zero tolerance. Soon after assuming power, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Bhajan Lal Sharma government set the tone.
Transfer orders followed one another at a pace rarely seen in Rajasthan’s administrative history. Officers posted during the previous Congress regime were shifted out of key positions, while new faces were brought in to implement the BJP government’s priorities. The churn was most visible in the IAS cadre, where 18 transfer lists reassigned around 211 officers.
Major reshuffles in January, June, and November altered the line-up of district collectors, departmental secretaries, and heads of key institutions, reshaping the administrative command structure. The Rajasthan Police also witnessed sweeping changes. Through 16 IPS transfer lists, 281 police officers — from SPs to senior ranks such as IGs and DIGs — were moved. These reshuffles reflected the government’s intent to tighten law and order and place trusted officers in sensitive districts.
A major milestone came on July 3, 2025, when Rajiv Kumar Sharma was appointed Director General of Police (DGP). His appointment was projected as a move towards professionalising policing and strengthening internal security.
If one cadre truly felt the heat in 2025, it was the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS). More than 29 transfer lists led to the transfer of over 675 RAS officers, many of them at the SDM and ADM levels. Several officers were transferred two to three times within a single year, making 2025 one of the most unstable years for mid-level administration. Massive lists released in July, September, and October turned districts into revolving doors, sparking debate over efficiency versus experimentation.
The year also brought crucial changes at the apex of the administration. In November 2025, V. Srinivas took charge as Chief Secretary after the Centre recalled Sudhansh Pant. Known for digital reforms and administrative innovation, Srinivas’s appointment was widely seen as aligning governance with technology-driven reforms.
A key political message of 2025 was the systematic removal of officers closely associated with the previous Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government. Long-serving officers in powerful departments such as Home and Finance were reassigned. Several district collectors, IGs, and senior IAS officers — including Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph — were transferred, underscoring the BJP government’s intent to assert firm control over the bureaucracy.
The Congress, led by former CM Gehlot and state leaders Tika Ram Jully and Govind Singh Dotasra, accused the Bhajan Lal government of indecision and dependence on “old officers.” They alleged that even policy formulation and budget-making continued to be influenced by the previous regime.
Jully told IANS, “Bureaucratic lobby stands divided and it is all evident. With the new chief secretary, this tone has come out loud. Now, let’s see what results he delivers. Earlier, Pant was also brought to Rajasthan from Delhi with high hopes; however, all went flat.”
The government’s response came not through statements but through transfer orders — fast, frequent, and far-reaching — sending a clear signal that the reins of administration were firmly in its hands.
As Rajasthan steps into 2026, the legacy of 2025 is unmistakable. It was a year that reset bureaucratic equations, tested administrative stability, and underlined the government’s determination to govern on its own terms. Whether this whirlwind of transfers will translate into better governance on the ground remains to be seen.
The year also marked significant changes at the helm of the administration. Rajiv Kumar Sharma took over as state police chief in July, while V. Srinivas assumed charge as Chief Secretary in November. With the BJP government consolidating its hold, several senior and influential officers were eased out of key positions, signalling a clear reset in administrative priorities.
Officially, the reshuffle was about good governance, efficiency, and reform. Unofficially, it triggered intense debate within bureaucratic corridors. Supporters argue that the changes dismantled entrenched power centres and injected fresh energy into the system. Critics, however, question whether frequent transfers weakened institutional memory and slowed decision-making.
As 2025 draws to a close, one thing is clear: Rajasthan’s bureaucracy spent the year on the move. The unprecedented churn has left a lasting imprint, reshaping power equations, redefining tenures, and setting a new benchmark for administrative change.
Whether 2025 will be remembered as the year that fixed governance or fatigued it is a question only time will answer. But for Rajasthan’s officers, it was undoubtedly the year when no chair felt permanent.
(IANS)
