Rameshwar Thakur sworn in as Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission chairperson

Rameshwar Singh Thakur took oath as the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) chairperson, in Shimla on Friday.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath to him at a ceremony at Raj Bhawan in the presence of chief minister Jai Ram Thakur.

Rakesh Sharma, Col Rajesh Kumar Sharma and Dr Nain Singh were sworn in as members of the Commission.

The appointments were made a week after a controversy erupted over the appointment of sitting member Rachna Gupta as the HPPSC chairperson. Her swearing-in was cancelled at the last minute amid allegations of bias. Later, she declined the appointment, citing personal reasons. It is learnt that the BJP high command had taken cognisance of objections to her appointment from various quarters, including from within the party, after the notification was issued. Rakesh Sharma, the special secretary to CM Jai Ram Thakur too had resigned from the post.

While making the fresh appointments, the government also denotified the appointment of Om Parkash Sharma.

Prior to taking over as the HPPSC chairperson, Rameshwar Singh Thakur was serving as the inspector general of police (intelligence). He is known for his integrity and shares a good rapport with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Born in a poor family at Lohali village in Shimla in 1964, Thakur was raised by his maternal aunt after his mother died when he was only two.

He completed his schooling from Government High School, Ghanahatti. After completing BA (Honours) from Government College, Sanjauli, he went on to pursue MA (Economics) at Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla. While still in the first year of the Masters Programme, he was selected to the short service commission in the Indian Army. He was commissioned into the infantry battalion and served there from 1986 to 1991 and took part in many anti-militancy operations in Kashmir valley. His family circumstances forced him to quit the Army. He took up farming for three years and also served as a security officer at IDBI bank before joining the Himachal Pradesh Police Service (HPPS) in 1994.

As a trainee police officer at the Punjab Police Academy, Thakur broke the 103-year record of the Academy by securing all the three awards of ‘Best in Indoor’, ‘Best in Outdoor’ and the ‘All Round Best Officer’. In 2001, he was selected into the Special Protection Group (SPG) and served there till 2010. On his return from SPG, he worked as SP, crime branch and SP Sirmour. For professional and peaceful conduct of Vidhan Sabha elections, he was adjudged the best SP in the state by the Election Commission of India.

Colonel Rajesh Sharma has worked closely with the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association and is close to Union minister for information and broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur. Nain Singh retired as a professor from Himachal Pradesh University.