Pavan Kapoor, the 1990-batch IFS officer and Deputy National Security Adviser, is tipped for a key role in India’s global extradition push. Sources suggest he may lead high-level delegations seeking cooperation from key countries to secure the return of individuals wanted in security-related cases. The move comes as New Delhi intensifies efforts to track down fugitives through international partnerships. Kapoor’s likely assignment would place him at the centre of sensitive negotiations requiring discretion and diplomatic leverage. His career offers ample preparation: he has served as Secretary (West) and India’s Ambassador to Russia, Israel, the UAE and Mozambique. With experience across strategically important capitals, he brings geopolitical understanding to an engagement where legal requests and national security priorities must travel together.
A credential, at last in Baku
Nearly six months into his tenure, India’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, K Abhay, a 2003-batch IFS officer, was yet to present his credentials. The delay followed Baku’s support for Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Rauf Ismayilov has served as Chargé d’Affaires since ambassador Elchin Huseynli returned in July to take up his posting in Italy. Speculation followed that Azerbaijan might keep its New Delhi mission at CDA level, despite Abhay’s appointment. But the calendar appears to have shifted after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Baku in October. Abhay’s credential ceremony was reportedly organised ahead of that visit. The question now: whom will Baku send as its next ambassador to New Delhi? That choice may offer a clue about the relationship’s direction.
Another berth on the Odisha Express
Another Odisha-cadre IAS officer may be heading to Bihar, following Manish Kumar Verma’s earlier move. Sanjay Kumar Singh, a 1997-batch officer, is being considered for a key post in Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary’s Office after Bihar sought his services. The Centre has begun processing his inter-cadre deputation and asked Odisha for vigilance clearance. Singh is Principal Secretary of Odisha’s Works Department and also holds additional charge of Food Supplies. Sources say Bihar wants him as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. The parallel with Verma is hard to miss: the 2000-batch officer served in Nitish Kumar’s CMO, took voluntary retirement in 2018 and joined the JD(U) in 2024, ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, in the state capital.
The catchphrase chase
‘Modi Kahin Na Jayega’ is fast becoming more than just a catchy line in the BJP’s latest song. The party is pulling out all stops to push it across social media, hoping it will travel well beyond rallies and speeches. The BJP believes Gen Z, college-going students and young women are receptive to Modi and hopes to tap into this enthusiasm. It wants to turn the one-liner into a popular counter-slogan to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s controversial remarks about the prime minister’s father. The larger pitch is to link Modi’s leadership with the Viksit Bharat mission and make the slogan a household expression. With over 13 crore members, the BJP is counting on its cadre to spread the refrain nationwide.
A top chair up for grabs
Could Lok Bhavan in Kolkata be in for a change of occupant? Political circles are abuzz that incumbent Governor RN Ravi could be moved to J&K or another strategic state. Names of successors being discussed include Lt Gen KJS Dhillon, who last served as Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency. His military experience, particularly on Kashmir-related security matters, is being seen in some quarters as an advantage, given West Bengal’s sensitive location and its international border with Bangladesh. But Dhillon is not the only name in circulation. A prominent Muslim figure, once active in electoral politics, is also said to be among the possible contenders. There is no official word yet, but the speculation has certainly set tongues wagging.
