JAIPUR – The Rajasthan government has removed Archana Singh, secretary of the Department of Information Technology and Communication, days after technical disruptions affected Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public meeting in Banswara.
An order issued on 25 September cited “administrative reasons” for the decision. Singh, a 2009-batch IAS officer, has been placed on wait for a new posting. The Department of Personnel has not disclosed further details. Singh did not respond to calls or messages seeking comment.
The IT and Communication department was primarily responsible for technical arrangements at the event in Napla village on 25 September, where PM Modi addressed farmers and laid foundation stones for major projects.
According to officials familiar with the matter, a failure in the video system occurred shortly after the prime minister reached the stage, cutting the live feed for nearly 10 minutes. There were also reports of audio-visual disruptions during his interaction with the audience. Authorities in Jaipur and Delhi expressed dissatisfaction over the lapses, the officials said.
The disruptions came during a high-profile event in which PM Modi launched renewable energy projects worth about ₹1.22 lakh crore. These included the Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam Ltd (ASHWINI) Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project, which is expected to become one of the largest nuclear facilities in the country once completed.
Transfers of senior bureaucrats after large public events are not uncommon in Rajasthan, where officials are often held accountable for protocol or technical lapses. Singh, who has held several key administrative posts during her career, is now awaiting a fresh posting.
The Banswara rally was part of the government’s wider push to highlight energy, infrastructure and welfare initiatives in tribal-dominated southern Rajasthan. The nuclear project in particular has been presented as a symbol of India’s growing energy security ambitions, with an expected capacity to generate significant clean power.
Officials said while the disruption did not stop the event from proceeding, the failure of audio and video systems at such a high-level programme was viewed seriously. “For a prime minister’s rally, flawless execution is expected. Even a short interruption is treated as a major issue,” one official said on condition of anonymity.
