
HC reinstates Sidhi bank CEO, slams his suspension for ‘hurting MLA's ego'
In a strongly-worded judgment delivered on July 29, Justice Vivek Jain said the record showed "undue pressure" had been exerted after Raikwar refused an MLA's demand to reverse the transfer of a bank clerk.
The court observed: "In the present case it is duly indicated from the facts available on record that it was the case of undue pressure being exerted and not a case of general public grievance of the constituency being brought to the notice of the bank management.
It is in fact a case of the MLA feeling ego hurt by refusal of the petitioner to accept her demand of cancellation of transfer of clerk and this led to the entire unpleasant institution.
"
The petitioner's counsel has argued in the court that his client had refused to cancel the transfer of a bank clerk from Gandhi Gram Branch to Sidhi Branch -- a decision the CEO had made using his administrative powers. Raikwar was suspended on June 10.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice
Grammarly
Install Now
The court noted that the suspension order was triggered by a complaint jointly signed by the MLAs and routed through the district's in-charge minister, eventually reaching the cooperative minister, who recommended action against Raikwar. The managing director of the bank then issued the suspension order, citing allegations of "unparliamentary language" used by Raikwar during a phone call with the MLA.
However, the high court found that none of the materials placed on record demonstrated any actual use of indecent language.
The content of the alleged conversation, as quoted in official note-sheets, "did not amount to any indecency," the court said.
Raikwar's counsel had argued that he was being targeted for performing his duties independently and without political interference. The court concurred, calling the suspension a "clear abuse of power" and, "passed only to satisfy the ego of local MLA of the district and nothing else".
On the issue of alternative remedy, the state had contended that Raikwar should have approached the registrar under Section 55(2) of the MP Cooperative Societies Act or the Cooperative Tribunal under Section 77(14).
The court rejected this argument, ruling that given the involvement of the cooperative minister and MLAs, the remedies could not be deemed "efficacious remedy". The high court also observed, "In fact, there is no real remedy at all.
"
Holding the suspension illegal and arbitrary, the HC ordered Raikwar's reinstatement with all service benefits, observing that public servants "suspending the petitioner is held to be an order passed in exercise of excessive powers and actuated by bias and at behest of MLA and the MLA having over reached her jurisdiction to bring the just grievances of public to notice of the bank authority, but it was a case of a clerk using his political connections to bring about cancellation ordered by the CEO.
Therefore, the impugned suspension order deserves to be and is hereby quashed."
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Friendship Day wishes
,
messages
and
quotes
!
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
11 minutes ago
- Time of India
August 05, 2025, Birthday Forecast: Discover what the next 12 months hold for you
Happy Birthday! Your birth date has brought you here, so let us have a deep insight into what your numbers hold for you in the upcoming 12 months. Personal year For the next 12 months, you will be under the influence of Number 4 , which is ruled by Rahu Dev. Let us dive into what the next 12 months hold for you Career & Finance For people born on 5 August , This year is a critical time for both your career and financial development. You might see a spike in ambition and increased responsibilities between August and December of 2025. Now is the perfect moment to look for leadership positions, credentials, or even a change in profession. Your diligence and aptitude for planning intricate projects are likely to get attention. This is a good time to expand into new markets or scale up if you work for yourself. Through the first quarter of 2026, you will need to be more strategic with your finances because unexpected costs or payment delays may occur in January and February. However, your financial situation stabilizes starting in March 2026. However, your financial situation stabilizes starting in March 2026. Investments made after April and long-term financial planning will yield strong returns. Steer clear of speculative risks and rash purchases all year long. Relationships For people born on 5 August , The relationship domain adds structure and depth. Between September and December 2025, you may need to reevaluate your emotional expectations if you're in a committed relationship. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Resmed AirSense 11 with flat 20% off ResMed Buy Now Undo This time frame encourages candid discussions and the release of pent-up emotions. Mature handling will result in stronger bonds. Between November 2025 and March 2026, singles might meet someone intellectually intriguing; their first exchanges might be superficial, but they could develop into something significant. Between January and March, family dynamics may become delicate, perhaps involving caring duties or generational disparities. Balance can be maintained by communication that is clear and patient. Your emotional world becomes lighter starting in May 2026, providing more comfort and warmth in all of your relationships with other people. Health For people born on 5 August , This year, you will need to take deliberate care of your mental and physical well-being. Inconsistent routines may exacerbate mild inflammation, intestinal imbalances, or stress-related weariness from August to November 2025. This is a call to embrace more sustainable lifestyle choices, such as mindful eating, proper sleep, and breathwork. To balance energy, think about include more grounding exercises like yoga or tai chi. Proactive nutrition and stress control are crucial because immunity may be a little low between February and April of 2026. Your vitality dramatically improves starting in May 2026. Setting fitness objectives or starting a new wellness program that incorporates both physical and mental wellness is a smart idea at this time. Travel For people born on 5 August , This year, travel will provide both cerebral stimulation and emotional renewal. Relocations or professional travel may be planned between September and December 2025. These journeys could serve as a springboard for networking or fresh viewpoints. Personal travel will pick up between March and June 2026—ideal for getaways that reconnect you with nature or culture. This time frame can be particularly restorative if you've been thinking about going on a solo retreat. Travel in January 2026 is cautioned due to the possibility of small delays or logistical problems. Verify reservations and documentation twice at all times. All things considered, this year's travels will enhance your internal development as well as your external experiences. You Share Your Birthday With Kajol , Genelia D'Souza , Vatsal Sheth , Ahsaas Channa , Mahima Makwana Discover everything about astrology at Times of India , including daily horoscopes for Aries , Taurus , Gemini , Cancer , Leo , Virgo , Libra , Scorpio , Sagittarius , Capricorn , Aquarius , and Pisces . Read your detailed Horoscope Today and Horoscope Tomorrow here.


Time of India
11 minutes ago
- Time of India
Meta will now let candidates use AI in interviews: Is this the future of hiring in Silicon Valley?
In a move that might signal a seismic shift in how talent is evaluated, Meta has confirmed that it is actively testing AI-enabled interviews where coding candidates can use an artificial intelligence assistant during the assessment process. The update was first reported by 404 Media, which accessed an internal memo titled 'AI-Enabled Interviews—Call for Mock Candidates.' The document invites existing employees to volunteer as test subjects for mock interviews involving AI support, noting that this model is 'more representative of the developer environment that our future employees will work in.' It's not just an experimental idea. Meta appears to be laying the groundwork for a new industry norm, one that acknowledges how AI is already deeply embedded in real-world workflows. From help to hiring: Why Meta is betting on AI tools Confirming the internal pilot, a Meta spokesperson told 404 Media, 'We're obviously focused on using AI to help engineers with their day-to-day work, so it should be no surprise that we're testing how to provide these tools to applicants during interviews.' This is the same company where, just months ago, CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast that he expected AI agents to soon function as 'midlevel engineers' capable of writing code for the company. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pierce Brosnan's Wife Lost 120 Pounds - This Is Her Now Undo 'Over time,' he added, 'we'll get to a point where a lot of the code in our apps is actually going to be built by AI engineers instead of people engineers.' So why test humans in a way that doesn't reflect that reality? That's the core logic behind Meta's pilot. By allowing AI during interviews, the company is signalling that it's less interested in testing raw memory or speed, and more in evaluating how future employees might collaborate with AI systems under real conditions. It's a big pivot from conventional wisdom and it's catching on across the Valley. A glimpse into the future: Cluely, Columbia and ethical grey zones If Meta is at one end of the curve, Chungin 'Roy' Lee is the outlier who saw it coming just a bit too early. In early 2024, Lee, a then 21-year-old computer science student at Columbia University, developed Interview Coder, an AI tool that could discreetly assist candidates during coding interviews. It captured screen activity, picked up audio cues, and suggested real-time responses. For users, it was a lifeline. For institutions, it was a line crossed. Columbia suspended Lee for a year, citing violation of academic integrity. The scandal could have ended the story but it didn't. Lee moved to San Francisco, rebranded the product as Cluely, and turned it into a stealth-mode AI assistant offering undetectable support not just in interviews, but also exams, meetings and sales calls. By mid-2025, Cluely had raised over $20 million in funding, including a $15 million Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz. Lee remains defiant about his journey. Speaking to the Associated Press, he said: 'Everyone uses AI now. It doesn't make sense to have systems that test people as if they don't.' While Cluely sits in a controversial corner of the AI productivity movement, Meta's recent decision suggests the narrative is shifting. Rather than penalising candidates for using AI tools, some companies are now building interviews around them. The interview cheat code or new literacy? The trend raises an important question: If AI is going to be an integral part of professional life, should interviews continue to pretend it doesn't exist? For many Silicon Valley employers, the answer may be no. Hiring teams are increasingly interested in how candidates interact with AI, rather than how they perform in isolation. As coding environments become more collaborative with GitHub Copilot, Google Gemini Code Assist and Meta's own Code Llama now common in developer stacks, pure unaided performance is losing relevance. Meanwhile, allowing AI during interviews might make it harder to distinguish between strategic assistance and dependency. It could also widen the gap between candidates trained in AI-integrated environments and those coming from more traditional setups. What does this mean for future applicants? For candidates preparing to enter the tech workforce in 2025 and beyond, Meta's pilot could change how they approach not just interviews but learning itself. It normalises the presence of AI in high-stakes environments. It also redefines what companies consider 'cheating.' The emphasis now appears to be shifting from what you know to how you adapt. In that landscape, the ability to prompt, parse and co-create with AI may soon become just as important as any core coding language. As Chungin Lee's story shows, the tools that once got students suspended may very well become the tools that help them get hired. Meta's pilot is not just a test of software; it's a preview of a job market where human-AI collaboration isn't an advantage, it's the baseline. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!


Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
India plans Rs 20,000-crore Export Promotion Mission to offset US tariff impact, boost global trade
New Delhi: India is looking to unveil a ₹20,000 crore long-term plan by September to shield its exporters from global trade uncertainties and fluctuations, officials said. A raft of measures aimed at facilitating easy access to export credit and tackling non-tariff barriers in overseas markets are being planned under the new Export Promotion Mission, the officials said. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program The government's initiative assumes significance in light of the commerce and industry ministry urging exporters to build and promote homegrown brands for coping with the 25% tariff levied by the US . "For the mission to operationalise as a scheme, more than ₹20,000 crore are required for the next five-six years. This is under consultation," said an official. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo The mission is being driven jointly by the ministries of commerce and industry, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), and finance. "The mission will implicitly help exports bound for the US, and wherever our exports go. We will have to close it by August so that it is operational by September," said the official cited above. Live Events Ecommerce Hubs The plan also involves elevating Brand India on the global stage on the lines of Japan, Korea, and Switzerland, supporting the setting up of ecommerce hubs, and developing districts as export centres. "It will be positive if such a large fund can support our exports in these challenging times," said Ajay Sahai, director general, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO). Washington has imposed an across-the-board 25% tariff on all Indian-origin goods, effective August 7, along with an unspecified penalty. India's rivals including Pakistan, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Turkey are in the 15-20% range. The steep duty could impact nearly half of India's exports of more than $85 billion annually to the US. The mission will have five components - trade finance, non-trade finance dealing with regulation, standards and market access, better brand recall for Brand India, ecommerce hubs and warehousing, and trade facilitation. For MSME exporters, the plan is to offer fully or partially collateral-free loans with a cap on individual exporters and based on their credit history.