Term Terms

The Union government earlier this month is learnt to have rejected CPCB Member Secretary Bharat Kumar Sharma’s request to grant extensions to two IAS offi­cers serving as the Joint Secretaries of the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen and SBM Urban. While Sharma sought the extensions until April next year in his capacity as member-convenor of a Supreme Court Empowered Monitoring Committee on solid waste management, the Department of Personnel and Training is learnt to have replied that both officers were already on extended tenure. Usually, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet orders such extensions and postings.

Active Handles

Only a “handful” of BJP leaders have been found to be “adequately active” on Instagram as the party steps up efforts to increase its influence on the social media, according to insiders. PM Narendra Modi had taken to Instagram last week in a bid to engage with the youth amid protests led by CJP. With PM Modi showing the way, party sources said the platform was set to become the party’s next chosen “sph­e­re of influence”. However, sources said, only a few Instagram handles have been found to fit the crucible of being “politically active”, including those of Comm­erce Minister Piyush Goyal, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, UP CM Yogi Adity­anath, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma; MPs Manoj Tiwari, Anurag Thakur, Nishikant Dubey & Tejasvi Surya.