Gujarat surging ahead to remain an attractive investment destination
As files move faster and scrutiny grows sharper, the mood inside Gujarat Secretariat at Gandhinagar swings between urgency and surprise. Here’s a roundup of what is stirring the system.
18 MBBS, 13 PhD Doctors in Gujarat’s Bureaucracy!
The educational profile of IAS officers in Gujarat’s bureaucracy stands out. There are several officers who became IAS officers after completing their medical degrees. According to a study, out of the 269 serving officers, 31 hold doctoral degrees — 18 in the medical field and 13 with PhDs in various academic disciplines.
Among senior officers, Dr. Jayanti Ravi has completed a PhD in e-governance. Dr. Anju Sharma and Dr. Vinod Rao hold PhDs in management. Dr. T. Natarajan is also a PhD holder. Dr. Sandhya Bhullar is an MBBS doctor. Dr. Rahul Gupta has completed a PhD in Human Development Index. Dr. Rajendra kumar is a B.A.M.S., and Dr. Vikrant Pandey is an MBBS doctor.
Dr. Ajay Kumar and Dr. Kuldeep Arya hold PhDs in agriculture. One of the most surprising aspects of the state’s administrative system is that a large number of young officers have an MBBS background, particularly those from batches between 2003 and 2024.
Three Officers Emerge as Contenders for the DGP Post
With Gujarat’s Police Chief Vikash Sahay, a 1989-batch IPS officer, completing his extension period in December, discussions have intensified in the Secretariat regarding who will succeed him. In the seniority list, the next in line is Shamsher Singh, a 1991-batch IPS officer currently on deputation as Additional Director General of the Border Security Force. Along with him, the names of Dr. K. L. Narayan Rao of the 1992 batch and Gnanendra Singh Malik of the 1993 batch are also being discussed for the state’s top police position. These two officers are scheduled to retire in October 2027 and November 2028, respectively.
STQC Now Mandatory for Gujarat Govt Portals
All departments of the state government, their subordinate offices, local self-governing bodies, and boards/corporations will now be required to assess their existing websites, portals, web applications, and mobile applications as per the provisions of the Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW) 3.0. They must identify shortcomings and carry out necessary improvements. The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has issued directions to all states, including Gujarat, to follow these guidelines.
Consequently, Gujarat will also need to obtain a Conformity to Quality Website (CQW) certificate from the Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Directorate or a laboratory authorised by it. R.C. Desai, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, has forwarded the central guidelines to IT cadre officers posted in all departments, ICT directors, and the e-governance office for implementation. This effectively means that more than 350 currently functional websites and applications will have to be reviewed, flaws identified, and necessary corrections and upgrades carried out.
No Govt Car—Officers Ordered to Travel by Train
As the Gujarat Government’s 12th Chintan Shibir is scheduled from November 27 to 29, the state administration has directed senior officers to travel to the venue not by government vehicles but by train. The Chintan Shibir will be held at Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram in Dharampur, Valsad. The General Administration Department (GAD) and SPIPA have arranged transportation for officers via Vande Bharat and Tejas Express trains for both onward and return journeys. A total of 240 participants—including all cabinet ministers, senior officials of various departments and boards/corporations, as well as district collectors and DDOs—are expected to attend.
Central Agencies Zoom In on Jal Jeevan Mission
Central investigation teams have been forced to come to Gujarat after numerous complaints of corruption in the works done without supervision in the rush to complete the target of the central government’s Nal Se Jal scheme. This corruption has taken place not only in Gujarat but in most states of the country. In the Jaljivan scheme in 91.18 lakh houses of the state, the MLAs of the ruling party have made representations to the government and raised questions in the assembly. More than 16 thousand complaints were received in various areas of Gujarat.
Now the CBI is also likely to jump into this case. Taps have been fitted in some houses, but there is no pipeline, while in many houses, there is a pipeline but no tap. Government money has been taken by showing a number of houses on paper as having completed the scheme. The central government had started this scheme in 2019 with the aim of providing water from tap to every rural house and had decided to complete its target in 2024.
Gujarat Congress Set to Lose Its Last Rajya Sabha Seat
For the first time in the last 30 years of its gradual decline in Gujarat, the Congress will have zero representation in the Rajya Sabha after June 2026. Gujarat has a total of 11 Rajya Sabha seats, and the BJP’s strength is set to rise to 10. Mid next year, elections will be held for four seats currently held by BJP’s Rambhai Mokariya, Ramila Bara, Narhari Amin, and Congress’s Shaktisinh Gohil. Since Congress now has only 12 MLAs in the Assembly, the party is set to lose its last remaining Rajya Sabha seat as well.
The BJP, whose strength in the Assembly has increased to 162, will win all four seats unopposed. This will mark the first time in Gujarat’s political history that the Congress will have no presence in the Rajya Sabha from the state. Among the current Rajya Sabha members from Gujarat, J. P. Nadda and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar are part of the Union Cabinet.
Plan to Green Gujarat’s Roads Through the PPP Model
Senior officials of the state’s Forest and Environment Department are currently under pressure after the department’s minister issued instructions to increase green cover along all national and state highways—as well as vacant spaces along railway tracks—through the Public–Private Partnership (PPP) model. At a time when engineers of the Roads & Buildings Department are already troubled by criticism over road damage, the IFS and GFS officers of the Forest and Environment Department are now facing rising stress levels.
In a recent meeting with officials from major municipal corporations, the cabinet minister directed that greenery be developed on both sides of the roads. Notably, along the national highways passing through Somnath, Dwarka, and Porbandar, the Sadbhavana NGO has carried out remarkable plantation work, achieving a 100% tree-survival rate.
Gujarat Shapes a Fresh Industrial Path to Stay Ahead
Even after many years, the Gujarat Government has not been able to grant agriculture the status of an industry, but it consistently introduces policies that benefit small and large industries. In the industrial policy that expired last August—and has now been extended until December 2026—the Industries Department is planning a new strategy that is likely to significantly increase the investment and turnover limits for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). It is also a fact that industrial groups prefer to invest in states that offer maximum benefits and ease of doing business.
The government claims that with higher limits, smaller industries will become eligible for a wider range of incentives, which in turn will attract industrial groups from other states to Gujarat. With states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh emerging as top contenders for industrial investments, Gujarat—which hosts the Vibrant Summit—does not want to fall behind. Therefore, the state is exploring multiple reforms and policy measures in the upcoming industrial policy to support new technologies and ensure Gujarat remains an attractive investment destination.
TS Bureau
