Adarsh Kumar named new finance secretary

The government on Monday appointed expenditure secretary Adarsh Kishore, a 1969 batch IAS officer from the Rajasthan cadre, as next finance secretary. The post had been lying vacant since DC Gupta superannuated in October 2004.

Kishore is the senior-most among the three secretaries in the finance ministry at present. While economic affairs secretary AK Jha is also from the 1969 batch, Kishore is higher on the seniority list. Revenue secretary KM Chandrasekhar belongs to the 1970 batch.

The appointment is being seen as a move towards better coordination ahead of the Budget next month. Kishore was already heading the co-ordination committee for Budget preparation.

Monday's appointment also marks a return of the expenditure secretary at the helm of affairs in North Block after a gap of nearly 15 years. KP Geethakrishnan was the last expenditure secretary to don the mantle of finance secretary.

Kishore has had a long stint in North Block, having worked as additional secretary (fund bank). He was then named secretary, programme implementation department, and moved to heavy industry before returning to finance ministry as an officer on special duty just before Budget 2005. He took over as expenditure secretary in March 2005.

Plan panel on quality control

The Planning Commission has asked consumer organisations to put products to quality tests and provide information to consumers.

"Quality standards for food articles and medicines should be top priority," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said at the National Consumer Day.