Senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka, widely known for his unwavering stand against corruption and his unusually high number of transfers, will retire on Wednesday, bringing to a close a nearly 34-year-long career in public service.
A 1991-batch officer of the Haryana cadre, Khemka will superannuate as the Additional Chief Secretary in the Transport Department, a position he was appointed to in December 2024. His transfer to the department marked his return after nearly a decade; he had earlier served as Transport Commissioner but was removed after just four months during the first term of the BJP government led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
Throughout his career, Khemka was transferred a staggering 57 times—possibly the most for any bureaucrat in the state. On average, he was moved every six months, often holding postings in departments considered low-profile. Despite this, he maintained his reputation for honesty and diligence.
Khemka first rose to national prominence in 2012 when he cancelled the mutation of a controversial land deal in Gurugram involving Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. The mutation process is a key legal step in transferring land ownership, and Khemka’s action drew both praise and controversy.
Born in Kolkata on April 30, 1965, Khemka holds an impressive academic background. He earned his B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1988. He later obtained a PhD in Computer Science from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), an MBA in Business Administration and Finance, and, during his service, also completed an LLB from Panjab University.
Despite his qualifications and seniority, Khemka's career trajectory has often been marked by sidelining. In 2023, he was handling the Archives Department—a role he has been assigned multiple times, including under both Congress and BJP regimes.
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Frustrated by the underutilisation of his capabilities, Khemka wrote to Chief Minister Khattar in January 2023, offering to take charge of the Vigilance Department to combat corruption.
In his letter dated January 23, 2023, Khemka criticised the “lopsided distribution of work” in the government, pointing out that while some officers were burdened with multiple roles, others, like him, had too little to do. “Towards the end of my service career, I offer my services to head the vigilance department to root out corruption,” he wrote, adding, “If given an opportunity, I assure you there would be a real war against corruption and no one however high and mighty will be spared.”
Khemka has long acknowledged the personal cost of his principled approach. In a 2022 tweet after a batch of his peers were promoted to Secretaries to the Government of India, he wrote: “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.” He added pointedly, “Straight trees are always cut first. No regrets. With renewed resolve, I shall persist.”
As he prepares to retire, Ashok Khemka leaves behind a legacy defined by integrity, resilience, and a commitment to public interest—even at the expense of personal advancement.
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