The 1976-batch IAS officers will occupy the top bureaucratic posts in 2011 as the year will see retirement of as many as 38 bureaucrats in key positions, starting with the superannuation of finance secretary Ashok Chawla (Gujarat, 1973), corporate affairs secretary Ramsebak Bandyopadhyay (W Bengal, 1974) and his junior special secretary Pramod Deepak Sudhakar (UP, 1976) on January 31.

Other key officials retiring during the year include home secretary Gopal Krishna Pillai (Kerala, 72) on June 29, defence secretary Pradeep Kumar (Haryana, 72) on July 31, and defence finance secretary (Indian Defence Accounts cadre, 73) on March 31.

A score of the IFS officers in key positions in the external affairs ministry are also due for retirement in 2011 and they include Nalin Surie, high commissioner in London on July 31, secretary Vijay Latha Reddy on April 30, secretary (West) Vivek Katju on August 31. Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao, who got extension to complete a two-year term, is also retiring on July 31.

The finance ministry will, in fact, have an entirely new team at the top as not only finance secretary Chawla but other secretaries heading expenditure and revenue departments too are retiring, the last one being Sunil Mitra (WB, 75) superannuating on June 30. Expenditure secretary Sushma Nath (MP, 74) who is among key officials making the budget is due for retirement on March 31 and may get a three-month extension until the budget is passed.

National Human Rights Commission secretary general K S Money (Raj-76) is retiring on February 28, minority affairs secretary Mohan Krishen Khanna (Raj, 74) also on March 31, heavy industries secretary Bhawani Singh Meena (Mah, 75) on April 30, and health secretary K Chandramouli (UP, 75) on August 31.

Also retiring on August 30 will be economist Ashok Lahiri, executive director with Asian Development Bank while posts Secretary Radhika Doraiswamy (Indian Postal Services, 74) retires on October 30, cabinet secretariat's coordination secretary Ajit Kumar Seth (UP, 74) and biotechnology secretary Maharaj Krishan Bhan (scientist) on November 30. The last to retire in 2011 on December 31 are textiles secretary Rita Menon (UP-75) and Dr Samir K Brahmchari, secretary in Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, on December 31.

While ruling the roost at the top will be the 1976 batch bureaucrats during 2011, the year will also be the entry point for the 1977 batch officers to become secretaries in the government of India, 1980 batch officers as additional secretaries and the 1991 batch as joint secretaries.

List of Existing vacancies / likely to arise 'LEVEL: SECRETARY '
Sl. No. * Name Service Cadre/Batch Designation/Level * Ministry/Department/Office * Likely date of vacancy / Superannuation Date
1  Ashok Chawla IAS Gujarat 1973 Finance Secy M/o Finance D/o Economic Affairs
31/01/2011

2 Pramod Deepak Sudhakar IAS Uttar Pradesh 1976 Spl Secy Secy Equiv M/o Corporate Affairs N.A.
31/01/2011

3  Ramsebak Bandyopadhyay IAS West Bengal 1974 Secretary M/o Corporate Affairs N.A.
31/01/2011

4  K S Money IAS Rajasthan 1976 Secy General Secy Equiv M/o Home Affairs N.A.
Nl Human Rights Commn (NHRC) 28/02/2011

5  Sushama Nath IAS Madhya Pradesh 1974 Secretary M/o Finance D/o Expenditure
31/03/2011

6  Mohan Krishen Khanna IAS Rajasthan 1974 Secretary Secy Equiv M/o Minority Affairs N.A. Nl Commn for Minorities (NCM)

1/03/2011

7  K S Ramasubban IAS West Bengal 1976 Secretary Secy Equiv M/o Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions D/o Personnel & Trg Cen Vigilance Commn (CVC)

31/03/2011

8  NITA KAPOOR  I DEF ACCTTS S  OTHERS  1973 Secretary M/o Defence N.A. Defence Finance

31/03/2011

9  Bhawani Singh Meena IAS Maharashtra 1975 Secretary M/o Heavy Industries & Pub Enterprises D/o Heavy Industries
30/04/2011

10  M Raman IAS Tamil Nadu 1976 Secretary M/o Chemicals & Fertilizers D/o Chemicals & Petro Chemicals
30/04/2011

11  Vijaya Latha Reddy I FOREIGN S  OTHERS  1975 Secretary M/o External Affairs N.A.
30/04/2011

12  USHA MATHUR  I RLY ACCTTS S  OTHERS  1974 Secretary M/o Parliamentary Affairs N.A.
31/05/2011

13  Gopal Krishna Pillai IAS Kerala 1972 Home Secy M/o Home Affairs N.A.
29/06/2011

14  Ashok Sinha IAS Maharashtra 1975 Secretary M/o Food Processing Industries N.A.
30/06/2011

15  Sunil Mitra IAS West Bengal 1975 Secretary M/o Finance D/o Revenue

30/06/2011

16  Pradeep Kumar IAS Haryana 1972 Secretary M/o Defence D/o Defence
31/07/2011

17  Vivek Mehrotra IAS  Haryana 1974 Secretary M/o Minority Affairs N.A.
31/07/2011

18  NALIN SURIE  I FOREIGN S  OTHERS  1973 N.A. Secy Level N.A. N.A.
31/07/2011

19  Ashok Kumar Lahiri ECONOMIST OTHERS 0 Executive Dir Secy Equiv M/o Finance D/o Economic Affairs Asian Dev Bank (ADB)

30/08/2011

20  C. Balakrishnan IAS Himachal Pradesh 1974 Secretary M/o Coal N.A.

31/08/2011

21  Ajoy Acharya IAS  Madhya Pradesh 1976 Secretary Secy Equiv M/o Home Affairs N.A. Inter-state Cl Sectt

31/08/2011

22  P. C. Chaturvedi IAS Uttar Pradesh 1975 Secretary M/o Labour & Employment N.A.
31/08/2011

23  K Chandramouli IAS  Uttar Pradesh 1975 Secretary M/o Health & Family Welfare D/o Health & Family Welfare
31/08/2011

24  Vivek Katju I FOREIGN S OTHERS 1975 Secy (West) M/o External Affairs N.A.
31/08/2011
 

25 Deepak Gupta IAS  Jharkhand 1974 Secretary M/o New & Renewable Energy N.A.
30/09/2011

26 Neelam Nath IAS Jharkhand 1975 Secretary M/o Defence D/o Ex-Servicemen Welfare
30/09/2011

27 Mathew C Kunnumkal IAS Kerala 1976 DG Secy Equiv M/o Rural Dev D/o Rural Dev Nl Instt of Rural Dev (NIRD)

30/09/2011
 

28 Raghu Menon IAS  Nagaland 1974 Secretary M/o Info & Broadcasting N.A.
30/09/2011
 

29 Bhaskar Chatterjee IAS Orissa  1975 Secretary M/o Heavy Industries & Pub Enterprises D/o Public Enterprises
30/09/2011

30 Veena Upadhyaya IAS Uttar Pradesh 1976 Secretary M/o Home Affairs D/o Official Language
30/09/2011

31 Rajinder Pal Singh IAS Andhra Pradesh 1976 Secretary M/o Commerce & Industry D/o Industrial Policy & Promotion
31/10/2011

32 Mukul Joshi IAS Punjab 1975 Secretary M/o Chemicals & Fertilizers D/o Pharmaceuticals
31/10/2011

33 A Didar Singh IAS Punjab 1976 Secretary M/o Overseas Indian Affairs N.A.
31/10/2011

34 Radhika Doraiswamy I POSTAL S  OTHERS  1974 Secretary M/o Communications & Info Tech D/o Posts
31/10/2011

35 Ajit Kumar Seth IAS Uttar Pradesh 1974 Secy (PG & Coordination) Cabinet Sectt N.A.
30/11/2011

36 MAHARAJ KRISHAN BHAN  SCIENTIST  OTHERS  2004 Secretary M/o Sci & Tech D/o Bio-Technology
30/11/2011

37 Rita Menon IAS Uttar Pradesh 1975 Secretary M/o Textiles N.A.
31/12/2011

38 Dr. Samir K. Brahmachari SCIENTIST  OTHERS  1900 Secretary M/o Sci & Tech D/o Scientific & Indl Research
31/12/2011