Jagmohan Singh Raju

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Jagmohan Singh Raju is a former bureaucrat and politician from the Punjab. He held roles as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of HRD's Department of Higher Education and Managing Director of SIDCO. After resigning from job in 2022, he entered into politics and was appointed general secretary of the BJP in Punjab. [1] [2] Raju won the 2013 UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize for his efforts to make 10 million Indians literate in five years.

Contents

Biography

Raju was born into the family of former bureaucrat Karam Singh Raju. [3] His ancestral origin lies in the Ravidassia caste, and his great grandfather, Duni Chand, used to work as a leather worker. [4] He has a PhD in public policy from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and has been a visiting fellow at Cambridge University (UK). His wife Anu Singh is also a bureaucrat and a member of the Central Board of Direct Taxes. [5]

Career

Bureaucratic career

Defence Minister A.K. Antony presenting a trophy to Raju, for the best tableaux at the Republic Day Parade, in New Delhi on January 31, 2012 The Defence Minister, Shri A. K. Antony presenting a trophy to the Joint Secretary, Ministry of HRD, Shri Jagmohan Singh Raju, for the best tableaux at the Republic Day Parade, in New Delhi on January 31, 2012.jpg
Defence Minister A.K. Antony presenting a trophy to Raju, for the best tableaux at the Republic Day Parade, in New Delhi on January 31, 2012

He joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1985 and was assigned to the Tamil Nadu cadre. [6] Over his tenure, held positions as Additional Chief Secretary, Commissioner of Land Reforms, and Chief Resident Commissioner of the Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi. He was also the Additional Chief Secretary/Chairman & MD of the Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency at one point. [7]

Political career

Raju took voluntary retirement from his bureaucratic career and was fielded as the BJP candidate against Navjot Singh Sidhu and Bikramjit Singh Majithia for the Amritsar East Assembly constituency during the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election. [8] Later he was appointed as Punjab BJP general secretary, and he resigned from this position in 2025, citing differences with the party's Amritsar (Urban) president. [9]

Caste discrimination

His appointment as Additional Secretary to the Government of India was blocked (or delayed) unlawfully, although his vigilance clearance (needed for promotion/empanelment) had earlier been cleared. Then Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), K.V. Chowdary, allegedly reopened inquiries into closed pseudonymous complaints just when his empanelment was under consideration in 2015. [10]

Even after a investigation, committee found no wrongdoing by Raju and he alleges that this 're-inquiry' was used as a tool to withhold clearance and stall his promotion. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), after examining, also found that he had been 'grossly discriminated and victimised.' [11]

Author

He authored a book named Ramrajya -The People’s Welfare State. The book is based on Raju’s doctoral research and presents a vision of governance inspired by the concept of Ramrajya, an ideal state rooted in justice, equality, and welfare of all citizens. The book was launched at Lovely Professional University (LPU) during Raju’s tenure as Additional Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu. [12]

Awards

Raju won the 2013 UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize [13] for his efforts to make 10 million Indians literate in five years. [14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Jamwal, Ranjeet S. (29 October 2022). "'BJP is the natural option'". The Statesman. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  2. ↑ "Former IAS Officer and Politician Jagmohan Singh Raju Demands Inquiry into Punjab IAS & IPS Officers' Alleged Misconduct". indianmasterminds.com. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  3. ↑ "Day old in politics, ex-bureaucrat ready for Punjab poll challenge". The Indian Express. 29 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "Retd IAS officer asserts his Rangretta identity before election". The Tribune. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  5. ↑ Krishnan, Revathi (28 January 2022). "Senior Tamil Nadu IAS officer resigns from service to fight Sidhu in Amritsar on a BJP ticket". ThePrint. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  6. ↑ "Babus in poll fray: 1 IPS, 3 former IAS officers try their electoral luck in Punjab assembly elections". The Times of India. 29 January 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  7. ↑ "Jagmohan Singh Raju IAS transferred as ACS- Land Reforms, TN | Indian Bureaucracy | IAS, IPS, IFS Transfers, Government Appointments & PSU News". 13 November 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  8. ↑ "IAS Officer Takes Voluntary Retirement. BJP Pits Him Against Navjot Sidhu" . Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  9. ↑ "Jagmohan Raju quits as state BJP general secy". The Tribune. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  10. ↑ Dhingra, Sanya (26 April 2019). "Dalit IAS officer used to think caste bias was a myth. Now he's fighting it". ThePrint. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  11. ↑ "PMO asked to action against CVC for caste bias" . Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  12. ↑ Team, The Happenings (31 October 2017). "TN's Additional Chief Secretary Launched his Book at LPU". Happenings@LPU. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  13. ↑ "Day old in politics, ex-bureaucrat ready for Punjab poll challenge". The Indian Express. 29 January 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  14. ↑ MASIH, ARCHANA. "Can This Babu Be Punjab's Giant Killer?". Rediff. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
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