The DoPT cleared his early return so he can move up the ladder where it actually counts. Strange? Not really. For IAS, IPS, and other civil servants, central postings like UPSC are prestigious, but promotions often wait back home; in the parent cadre. So even if you’re running a top constitutional body, your career growth might depend on being elsewhere. This quiet move exposes how India’s bureaucracy works: power isn’t always where you sit; it’s where your next promotion is. Ajmera’s case isn’t dramatic. It’s just bureaucratic chess. And he’s making the smart move.