IAS Ashok Khemka, transferred 57 times in 34-year career, retires
What's the story
Ashok Khemka, IAS officer, is retiring after an illustrious career of almost 34 years on Wednesday.
Khemka, known for his integrity and dedication to public service, has seen an unprecedented number of transfers during his tenure—57 to be precise.
This unusual feature of his career, one transfer every six months, possibly makes him Haryana's most transferred bureaucrat ever.
Notable achievements
Khemka's career marked by high-profile land deal cancellation
Khemka achieved national fame in 2012 when he canceled the mutation of a Gurugram land deal involving Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi and husband of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Two years ago, following a round of promotions of IAS officers, Khemka had tweeted, "Congratulations to my batchmates newly appointed as Secretaries to GOI! While this is an occasion for merry, it brings equal measure of despondency for one's own self having been left behind."
Career trajectory
Khemka's return to Transport Department
Khemka's latest posting was as Additional Chief Secretary of Haryana's Transport Department, which he took charge of in December 2024.
His return to the department came almost 10 years after he was transferred from the post of Transport Commissioner during the then-BJP government under Manohar Lal Khattar.
He had only spent four months in the department then.
Assignments
Khemka's focus on low-profile departments
Khemka has mostly been posted in 'low-profile' departments during the last 12 years.
He has been posted in the Archives Department four times—once under the Congress government in 2013 and three times during the BJP regime.
He served first as director general and later as principal secretary of the department.
Anti-corruption stance
Khemka's offer to lead state vigilance department
Khemka wrote to the CM on January 23, 2023, stating he wanted to head the state vigilance department.
He had criticized the "lopsided distribution of work" in the bureaucracy and volunteered to eliminate corruption.
"If given an opportunity," he assured, "there would be a real war against corruption and no one, however high and mighty, will be spared."
Academic accomplishments
Khemka's educational background and commitment to learning
Khemka was born in Kolkata in 1965.
He has a BTech in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Kharagpur (1988), a PhD in Computer Science from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), and an MBA in Business Administration and Finance.
He also obtained an LLB from Panjab University while in service.