The Jammu and Kashmir administration has directed government employees to maintain courtesy, restraint and dignity in official interactions after a disputed video appeared to show a senior IAS officer using abusive language towards a subordinate officer during a virtual meeting. The administration has also appointed an inquiry officer to examine the alleged misconduct and submit a report within 15 days.
The circular was issued on Friday by M Raju, commissioner secretary to the Government, after the video surfaced on Thursday evening. It refers to Rule 3 of the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees (Conduct) Rules, 1971, along with other service-specific provisions, and reminds officers and officials of their obligations as public servants.
The instructions require employees to maintain the highest standards of integrity, devotion to duty, discipline and conduct becoming of a public servant. They also emphasise professionalism, courtesy and mutual respect in dealings with seniors, colleagues, subordinate staff and members of the public.
The circular states that official interactions must be conducted with “due courtesy, restraint, dignity and mutual respect”. It says the instructions apply equally to interactions between superior officers and subordinates, officials of different ranks, and subordinate employees and their seniors.
It further directs officers exercising seniority and supervisory authority to do so with responsibility and fairness. Employees have also been told to extend due regard to lawful directions, established procedures and the responsibilities attached to their offices. The use of derogatory, threatening or otherwise inappropriate language, as well as conduct inconsistent with the dignity of public office, has been specifically flagged for avoidance.
The order requires all administrative secretaries, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, heads of departments and managing directors to circulate the instructions among employees under their administrative control and ensure strict observance at all levels. This places responsibility for implementation on the government’s administrative hierarchy rather than limiting the circular to a general advisory.
The immediate issue involves Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, administrative secretary of the J&K labour and employment department, and Beenish Wani, a J&K Administrative Service officer posted as assistant director employment in Ganderbal. In the video, Ranjan is purportedly heard telling Wani to “shut up” and using an abusive expression. Wani is heard responding during the exchange.
Wani said the incident occurred during a review meeting on Wednesday. However, the labour department said in a statement that the video was “entirely AI-generated, fake, and fabricated using digital manipulation techniques”. The competing claims mean that the authenticity and circumstances of the exchange remain subject to official examination.
The administration has appointed Mandeep Kaur, IAS, commissioner secretary to the Government, housing and urban development department, as the inquiry officer. The order describes the matter as an inquiry into the “alleged misconduct” by Ranjan with Wani and gives the officer 15 days from the date of issuance to submit an in-depth report. Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have sought action against the IAS officer following the circulation of the video.
