Meet IAS officer known as the ‘most transferred IAS officer,’ transferred 57 times in 33 years due to…, set to retire on…

Khemka is known as the most transferred IAS officer in the country, with over 55 recorded transfers in his career spanning three decades.

Honesty is the best policy. When serving the nation, it is essential to uphold integrity, discipline, and punctuality. Meanwhile, there is one such IAS officer who had over 55 postings in 33 years; he is…

Meet IAS officer known as the ‘most transferred IAS officer,’ transferred 57 times in 33 years due to…, set to retire on…

Earlier in December 2024, in the first major reshuffle of Indian Administrative Service officers since Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini assumed office for the second time in October, 44 IAS officers, including Ashok Khemka, were transferred. Khmeka, the 1991 batch officer, who is considered close to Transport Minister Anil Vij, has been posted as Additional Chief Secretary (Transport). Khemka is known as the most transferred IAS officer in the country, with over 55 recorded transfers in his career spanning three decades.

The 1991-batch IAS officer’s transfer comes days after he wrote to Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, saying he did not have enough work with the merger of his Science and Technology Department into the Higher Education Department. Khemka even served as the Additional Chief Secretary in the Science and Technology Department.

Khemka is set to retire on April 30, 2025. Khemka rejoined the Transport Department after almost a decade. During his four-month stint as Transport Commissioner in 2014, he opposed issuing fitness certificates for oversized trucks carrying automobiles and white goods. This decision sparked a truckers’ strike in January, which was eventually resolved when the government provided a one-year period for vehicle modifications under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989.

Throughout his career, he has struggled against corruption and worked towards meaningful reforms. In a letter dated January 23, 2023, he highlighted the “lopsided distribution of work” and voiced his willingness to take charge of the Vigilance Bureau to strengthen the fight against corruption. He further wrote, “Towards the end of my service career, I offer my services to head the vigilance department to root out corruption. If given an opportunity, I assure you there would be real war against corruption and no one however high and mighty will be spared.”