Avinash Azad
A purported video of senior IAS officer Kumar Rajeev Ranjan allegedly abusing woman JKAS officer Beenish Wani during an official review meeting has triggered widespread anger across Jammu and Kashmir’s administrative circles, raising serious questions over workplace dignity and the treatment of women officers in the bureaucracy.
The incident allegedly took place on Wednesday, October 14, during a review meeting of Mission YUVA, held under the Labour and Employment Department at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar. The exchange reportedly began over the operational role of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) within the employment programme, the Print reports.
In the leaked audio-video recording, Ranjan is heard allegedly shouting at Wani and using derogatory language, including “You are bloody shit” and “I am your boss, stupid.” He is also purportedly heard directing staff to prepare her immediate suspension order and write to the General Administration Department (GAD) seeking her formal dismissal.
The video rapidly circulated on social media, turning the confrontation into a major controversy within hours. The language used, if authenticated, represents an extraordinary breach of official decorum—particularly in a formal government meeting involving a senior officer and a woman subordinate.
Mission YUVA is the J&K government’s flagship youth entrepreneurship and employment initiative, built around nano-enterprises, MSMEs, credit access, capacity building and market linkages. Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, as Secretary of the Labour and Employment Department, has previously presented the programme’s district-wise implementation status at high-level reviews.
The NRLM’s integration with Mission YUVA has also been part of recent administrative discussions, including strengthening self-help groups, village-level organisations and community institutions. The reported clash over NRLM’s role therefore touched a live administrative fault line between employment-generation and rural livelihoods machinery, the Brighter Kashmir reports.
The JKAS Officers’ Fraternity and the Jammu and Kashmir Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) have strongly condemned the alleged behaviour. Both bodies have demanded a time-bound and impartial inquiry, saying the incident threatens the dignity and security of public servants, especially women officers.
