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Public update

India's Disciplinary System Moved Swiftly to Fire an IAS Officer — the Process Took Only 18 Years

14 May 2026 - West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh

Record date
14 May 2026
Location
West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh
The odd part

The Central government has delivered justice in a 2007 corruption case — efficiently resolving it in just 18 years. The officer had enough time to earn promotions, serve across three states, and reach the Administrative Reforms Department before the Administrative Reforms Department reformed her employment status.

What happened

Padma Jaiswal, a 2003-batch AGMUT cadre IAS officer, was dismissed from service in May 2026 for misappropriating approximately ₹28 lakh during her 2007–08 posting as Deputy Commissioner of West Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh. The journey to accountability: complaints in 2008, suspension in 2009, suspension lifted in 2010, continued promotions through postings in Delhi, Goa, and Puducherry, a Central Administrative Tribunal ruling quashing proceedings on jurisdictional grounds, a Delhi High Court reversal in April 2026 reinstating the inquiry, and finally the President's order of removal — eighteen years after the initial misconduct. At the time of her dismissal, Jaiswal held the rank of Special Secretary in Delhi government's own Administrative Reforms Department. India's administrative reform process, apparently, works on a long enough timeline.

Source material