**China’s Dams on Brahmaputra: AI Ambitions Behind Water Power?**

Speculation is growing in strategic circles that China’s rapid dam-building along the Brahmaputra and in Tibet may not be driven by hydropower needs alone. According to diplomatic sources, the energy generated from these projects could eventually feed massive data centers aimed at powering China’s AI revolution.

The scale of electricity required for such centers has prompted questions about Beijing’s infrastructural choices and long-term ambitions. Indian officials, aware of these developments, are said to have raised concerns with their Chinese counterparts. Quietly, New Delhi has also been sharing limited water-related information with close allies, including the United States, to alert them to the larger implications.

Sources suggest India fears that what appears to be a “run-of-the-river” hydropower initiative could, in reality, be laying the groundwork for AI-centric data infrastructure. While China has officially denied any diversionary intent, analysts point to the strategic coupling of water, energy, and technological power as part of Beijing’s future roadmap.

The Brahmaputra’s waters may thus be flowing into a much larger story—one that merges geopolitics, climate security, and the global contest for artificial intelligence dominance.

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**India’s Security Apparatus Watches Pakistan’s Nuclear Pact with UAE Closely**

In a significant development, Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan have signed a formal mutual defense pact, marking a major deepening of their long-standing security partnership. The agreement commits both nations to enhanced defense cooperation and joint deterrence, with a declaration that any aggression against one will be treated as aggression against both. This move aims to bolster their regional and global security profile.

India’s security establishment is closely monitoring the development. Sources indicate that New Delhi has initiated high-level consultations to assess the pact’s strategic implications. According to senior officials, calls have already been made at the highest levels of government to evaluate how this renewed Riyadh-Islamabad security axis may alter the regional balance and affect India’s broader strategic interests.

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### Bureaucracy Updates

**About 30 IAS Officers of 1995 Batch to be Empanelled**

Around 30 IAS officers from the 1995 batch are likely to be empanelled to the rank of Secretary in the Government of India. Currently, about 20 IAS officers from this batch are posted in the GoI.

**Addl Secretary Post Vacant in Higher Education Department**

Following the departure of Sunil Burnwal to the Ministry of Health, the position of Additional Secretary in the Department of Higher Education remains vacant.

**Renu Raj Receives Fulbright Scholarship**

Dr. Renu Raj, a 2015 batch Kerala cadre IAS officer, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study Public Health at Harvard University.

**Khushboo Goel Choudhary Proposed as Karnataka IT Secretary**

Khushboo Goel Choudhary is reportedly being strongly backed by Minister Priyank Kharge to become the next IT Secretary of Karnataka. She holds a degree in public policy from Harvard and is considered close to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh.

**Varun Kumar Shukla Selected as CMD, Hindustan Salts Ltd**

Varun Kumar Shukla, GM at Richardson & Cruddas Limited, has been selected as Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Hindustan Salts Limited. The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) held a meeting on September 17, 2025, during which seven candidates were interviewed.

**Manikumar Sivaramakrishnan Recommended for DMD, IFCI Ltd**

The name of Manikumar Sivaramakrishnan has been recommended for the position of Deputy Managing Director of IFCI Limited.

**Bipul Pathak Appointed as Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Delhi Govt**

Bipul Pathak, a 1992 batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, has been appointed as the Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary (Home), Government of Delhi.

**Ms. Manisha Sinha Returns to Parent Cadre**

Ms. Manisha Sinha, Additional Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, has been given premature repatriation to her parent cadre.

**VRS of Four Senior IRS Officers Accepted**

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has accepted the Voluntary Retirement Scheme applications of four senior IRS (C&IT) officers:

– Dr. J. Michael Kennedy, 1993 batch, Principal Additional Director General
– Ms. Sudha Koka, IRS (C&IT), 1995 batch, Principal Additional Director General
– Shaik Khader Rahman, IRS (C&IT), 1992 batch, Chief Commissioner
– Mrinal Chatterjee, 2018 batch, Deputy Director

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**India’s Home Ministry Commissions Study on Protest Financing, Sops to Shield Internal Stability Expected**

India’s Ministry of Home Affairs has directed the Bureau of Police Research & Development to undertake an in-depth study of post-Independence protest movements, with a special focus on the period after 1974. The study aims to map reasons, patterns, outcomes, behind-the-scenes actors, and funding trails.

This effort, linked to the recent National Security Strategies Conference 2025 in New Delhi, will culminate in standard operating procedures (SOPs) to pre-empt mass agitations driven by vested interests. The mandate includes inter-agency coordination with financial intelligence and tax bodies to trace protest-linked money flows. Parallel frameworks will also be developed by central agencies to disrupt terror financing networks and tackle extremism-crime nexuses impacting public order and national security.

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### Other Key Appointments and Developments

– **Hemant Kumar Das in Race for CMD, Coal India Ltd**
Hemant Kumar Das, ED (Projects) at Power Finance Corporation, is among the contenders for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director at Coal India Limited.

– **Mangesh Ghildiyal’s Tenure Extended as Deputy Secretary, PMO**
The central deputation tenure of Mangesh Ghildiyal, a 2012 batch IAS officer of the UD cadre working as Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, has been extended till March 31, 2026.

– **Ashok Kumar Appointed as Director, Consumer Affairs**
Ashok Kumar, a 2012 batch Indian Engineering Services officer, has been appointed Director in the Department of Consumer Affairs.

– **Raj Kumar Chaudhary Appointed Chairperson, JERC (J&K and Ladakh)**
Raj Kumar Chaudhary, retired Chairman and Managing Director of NHPC Limited, has been appointed Chairperson of the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

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*Disclaimer: The correctness of this content is the responsibility of the author. Published in arrangement with whispersinthecorridors.com.*
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