New Delhi: In an unusual administrative move, the Rajasthan government has reappointed retired IAS officer Shruti Bhardwaj as Managing Director of the Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (RCDF), barely a month after she retired from the same post.
Bhardwaj retired on August 31, 2026. The MD's post remained vacant through most of September before the government issued the reappointment order on Wednesday.
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She has been appointed for six months or until a regular officer is appointed, whichever is earlier, on a pay-minus-pension basis, according to reports.
The appointment assumes significance as reports citing the government order said that eligibility conditions prescribed for appointment to the MD's post would remain “in abeyance” during her tenure.
The provision raises questions over why the government chose to relax the eligibility framework and bring back the retired incumbent instead of appointing a serving officer.
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The timing has also put the spotlight on succession planning at RCDF. Bhardwaj's August 31 retirement was known in advance, but no successor was immediately appointed. Reports earlier in September said RCDF was functioning without a regular MD even as the government considered bringing Bhardwaj back.
Her proposed reappointment had also faced opposition from sections of the dairy cooperative establishment. The Dairy Officers Employees Welfare Association and Ajmer District Milk Producers Cooperative Union had reportedly sought the appointment of a serving officer and raised questions over vesting financial and administrative powers in a retired official. Those objections, however, do not by themselves establish that the appointment is legally invalid.
Bhardwaj's previous tenure also provides the government with a possible continuity argument. RCDF has been pursuing expansion of its Saras dairy business, and reports have credited the federation with strong turnover and profitability during the recent period.
The larger governance question, however, remains: why was an important post kept vacant for almost a month only to bring back its retired incumbent, and what necessitated keeping the normal eligibility conditions in abeyance?
The state government has yet to publicly spell out the specific administrative grounds for choosing the post-retirement arrangement over a regular appointment.
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