Pankaj Dwivedi was appointed as the Executive Director (ED) of Union Bank of India in March 2024. However, that appointment has now been cancelled by the government as of June 24, 2025, and sent him back to his previous role as a General Manager at Punjab & Sind Bank. 

However, his appointment faced legal trouble ran into trouble for two main reasons:

1) Court Case: In 2024, A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Delhi High Court, saying his appointment was against the rules.

2) No Vigilance Clearance: For such a high post, it’s necessary to have proper clearance from the vigilance department (which checks for any misconduct or pending issues against government officials). In Dwivedi’s case, this vigilance clearance was missing.

In August 2024, the Delhi High Court looked into the case about Pankaj Dwivedi’s appointment as Executive Director (ED) of Union Bank of India. A bench of judges, led by the Acting Chief Justice at that time, asked important question to explain how Dwivedi was appointed without the required clearance. They sent official notices to The Central Government, The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and Pankaj Dwivedi.

Because of this pending court case and the issue with the clearance, the court pointed out that his appointment broke the rules. As a result, the government has now cancelled his promotion

Who is Pankaj Dwivedi?

He is a senior banker with over 31 years of experience in banking. He worked as a General Manager at Punjab & Sind Bank before being appointed as the Executive Director (ED) of Union Bank of India. He has worked in branches, zonal offices, and head office departments during his time at Punjab & Sind Bank. At the Head Office, he handled key areas like: Priority Sector Lending, Retail Lending, Law & Recovery, Treasury, Corporate Credit, Board Secretariat, Planning & Development, Foreign Exchange, Co-Lending Cell etc.

He is also a trustee on the Board of Trustees of IIFCL Mutual Fund.

Education and Qualifications:

• Holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies, Pune.

• Is a Certified Associate of the Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB).

• Completed the Executive Certificate Programme in Applied Financial Risk Management from IIM Raipur.

• Also completed a Leadership Development Programme at IIM Bangalore, organized by the Banks Board Bureau along with IBA and Egon Zehnder.