Patna: Bihar’s Additional Chief Secretary of Education Department, KK Pathak, has been given the green light to head to Delhi on central deputation, marking a significant development endorsed by the state government.
Pathak’s application for central deputation was officially accepted by the Bihar government on Thursday, paving the way for his relocation to Delhi.
According to sources from the CM Secretariat, Pathak had initially sought approval from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his move to Delhi. While Nitish initially declined his request, he has now granted permission for the transition.
Following the issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Bihar Government, the Department of Personnel (DOP) will facilitate Pathak’s posting. The Central Government will then communicate the details of his posting to the Bihar Government, which will subsequently issue the necessary orders for his deputation. Once finalized, a new Additional Chief Secretary will be appointed to the education department.
In the administrative protocol, IAS or IPS officers must obtain clearance from the state government before proceeding on central deputation. Upon receiving the NOC, the state forwards the officer’s details to the Centre for their posting. Pathak, a 1990 batch officer, will be relieved from his position as Additional Chief Secretary of the Education Department on the same day he is posted by the Central Government.
Pathak’s tenure as Additional Chief Secretary of the Education Department spans approximately a year, during which he previously served as the ACS of the Prohibition Department. His tenure in the education sector was marked by clashes with the then Education Minister Prof. Chandrashekhar, which resulted in prolonged disputes and disruptions in office proceedings.
Despite efforts to reconcile differences, controversies persisted, particularly regarding school timings. Although CM Nitish Kumar announced school hours from 10 am to 4 pm, the implementation remains pending.
Recently, Pathak convened a meeting with university vice-chancellors, which was attended by representatives from only three universities. Notably, the Vice Chancellor of Darbhanga University was replaced by Kameshwar Singh as the Registrar and Controller of Examinations. Subsequently, Pathak took stern action by halting the salaries of all Registrars except for the Registrar of Sanskrit University in response to the absence of Vice Chancellors at the meeting.
