K G Suresh, formerly with the RSS-affiliated think-tank, was on Wednesday appointed the new Director General of Indian Institute of Mass Communication for a period of three years.
Suresh was the foundation’s editor for website and in-house publications.
According to PTI, his appointment was cleared by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet.
As reported by www.jantakareporter.com earlier this month, the government had already made up its mind to appoint Suresh as the next DG of the IIMC.
Suresh’s appointment has taken place despite opposition from the Cabinet Secretariat, which said that the former lacked the ‘administrative experience’ for such a high-profile role.
Indian Express on 10 March reported how Cabinet Secretariat had informed the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) that Suresh should not have been shortlisted for the interview.
In a scathing note sent to the ACC, the Cabinet Secretariat had written, “Considering that the document was not available with the screening committee at the time of its meetings held on 28 August and 30 September, 2015, it is not clear as to how the committee included his name in the list of eligible candidates.”
Among other appointments, Modi has picked up his National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Principal Secretary Nripenra Misra, A Surya Prakash as Prasar Bharati chairman, and former DRDO chief V K Saraswat as full-time Niti Aayog member from the VIF.
47-year-old Suresh, who was a consulting editor with Doordarshan, will have a tenure of three years from the date of assumption of his charge, an official notification said.
(Photo courtesy: Indian Express)