Padma Jaiswal Rare Suspension: The Central government has dismissed senior IAS officer Padma Jaiswal from service over corruption allegations linked to her tenure in Arunachal Pradesh nearly two decades ago. The rare action against a serving IAS officer has drawn national attention and raised questions about her background, career and the case that led to her removal.
Padma Jaiswal belongs to the 2003 batch of the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territories) cadre. According to official sources, the dismissal order received final approval from the President of India following recommendations from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
The action reportedly followed years of disciplinary proceedings connected to allegations of misuse of official position and financial irregularities during her posting in Arunachal Pradesh.
When contacted, Jaiswal said, “I am not aware of any such development or any dismissal order being passed,” as per The Indian Express.
Who is IAS Officer Padma Jaiswal?
Padma Jaiswal is a 2003-batch IAS officer from the AGMUT cadre and has served in several administrative roles across Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi, Goa and Puducherry during her career. According to details available on her LinkedIn profile, she studied at St. Xavier’s School before pursuing higher education at the University Business School, Panjab University.
She holds an MBA degree and is also a certified Company Secretary from the Institute of Company Secretaries of India.
Apart from administrative work, Jaiswal also worked as a UGC Research Fellow with academic interests in business administration, management, financial management, international affairs and legal personnel management.
What Are the Allegations Against Padma Jaiswal?
The disciplinary action against Jaiswal reportedly stems from allegations dating back to 2007-08 when she served as Deputy Commissioner of West Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh. According to reports, residents filed a complaint in February 2008 accusing her of misappropriating government revenue and abusing her official position.
Following the complaint, authorities placed her under suspension in April 2008. However, the suspension was later revoked in October 2010. The Ministry of Home Affairs later initiated disciplinary proceedings under Rule 8 of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, which deals with imposing major penalties on IAS, IPS and IFoS officers.
Centre, UPSC and Court Proceedings
Reports said Padma Jaiswal received charge memoranda in 2009 and 2010 as part of formal disciplinary proceedings. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) were also consulted during the process. The UPSC eventually recommended her removal from service.
At one stage, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) reportedly set aside the proceedings, saying the Home Ministry lacked jurisdiction over AGMUT cadre officers.
However, the Centre challenged the CAT order before the Delhi High Court, which reportedly ruled in favour of the government earlier this year. Following the court ruling, the dismissal process moved forward with approval from the President of India.
Padma Jaiswal recently received a Delhi Posting
Despite the pending case, Jaiswal remained part of recent bureaucratic reshuffles.
Earlier this year, she was among 72 senior officers included in a Delhi government administrative reshuffle. Reports said she was assigned the role of Special Secretary in the Administrative Reforms Department while awaiting further posting.
Her dismissal now marks one of the rare instances where the Centre has removed a serving IAS officer after prolonged disciplinary and legal proceedings.
