New Delhi: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved 27 appointments at the Joint Secretary or Joint Secretary-equivalent level across various ministries, departments and government organisations.
According to an order issued from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on October 10, the appointments cover key portfolios including corporate affairs, health and family welfare, home affairs, commerce, culture, financial services, road transport and highways, urban development, water resources and social justice.
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The order also includes appointments to the National Health Authority (NHA), National Testing Agency (NTA), NITI Aayog, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), Food Corporation of India (FCI), National Highways Logistics Management Ltd. (NHLML), Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and National Commission for Women (NCW).
Most appointments will take effect from the date the officers assume charge of their respective posts. The tenure varies by appointment, with the order specifying five- or seven-year terms, combined tenures and, in some cases, an earlier end date or further orders.
The following is the complete list of appointments and the officers they will replace, as specified in the DoPT order dated October 10:
Brijesh Panday — Department of Capital Development
Brijesh Panday, IAS (TR:2004), has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Capital Development, for five years from the date of assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will succeed Thara D, IAS (GJ:1995).
Nikhil Varma — Directorate General of Foreign Trade
Nikhil Varma, IRS (IT) (2005), has been appointed Additional Director General of Foreign Trade (Addl. DGFT), Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Delhi, under the Department of Commerce. His tenure will be five years from assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Vrunda Manohar Desai, IRS (T:2003).
Tanvi Sundriyal — Ministry of Corporate Affairs
Tanvi Sundriyal, IAS (MP:2010), has been appointed Joint Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, for a combined tenure of five years up to August 25, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will succeed Rahul Jain, IAS (MP:2005).
Inderjeet Singh — Ministry of Culture
Inderjeet Singh, IAS (RJ:2010), has been appointed Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, for a combined tenure of five years up to August 26, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Amita Prasad Sarbhai, IRAS (1993).
Prakash Rajpurohit — Election Commission of India
Prakash Rajpurohit, IAS (RJ:2010), has been appointed Deputy Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India, for a combined tenure of five years up to April 8, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will succeed Sanjay Kumar, IAS (AGMUT:2008).
Tamboli Ayyaj Fakirbhai — IRDAI
Tamboli Ayyaj Fakirbhai, IAS (CG:2009), has been appointed Executive Director at the Joint Secretary level in the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), under the Department of Financial Services. His combined tenure is five years up to March 20, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Rajesh Malik — Food Corporation of India
Rajesh Malik, IRSME (1994), has been appointed Executive Director, Food Corporation of India (FCI), New Delhi, under the Department of Food and Public Distribution. His overall tenure will be five years up to February 5, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Ashutosh Joshi, IA&AS (1994).
Mohammed Y Safirulla K — Department of Health and Family Welfare
Mohammed Y Safirulla K, IAS (KL:2010), has been appointed Joint Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, for a combined tenure of five years up to August 27, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will succeed Nikhil Gajraj, IAS (HY:2008).
Ritu Sharma — Department of Health and Family Welfare
Ritu Sharma, IRS (IT) (2005), has been appointed Joint Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, for five years from the date of assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Vandana Jain, CSS.
Varnali Deka — National Health Authority
Varnali Deka, IAS (AM:2009), has been appointed Joint Secretary, National Health Authority (NHA), under the Department of Health and Family Welfare, for a combined tenure of five years up to August 28, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will succeed Jyoti Yadav, IAS (UD:2009).
More Ashish Madhaorao — National Health Authority
More Ashish Madhaorao, IAS (UT:2005), has been appointed Additional Chief Executive Officer (Addl. CEO) at the Joint Secretary level in the National Health Authority, under the Department of Health and Family Welfare. His combined tenure is five years up to June 15, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Madhu Rani Teotia, IAS (UT:2008).
Vivek Khare — National Testing Agency
Vivek Khare, ITS (1996), has been appointed Joint Secretary, National Testing Agency (NTA), under the Department of Higher Education, for an overall tenure of five years up to December 2, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The appointment involves temporarily upgrading a newly created Deputy Secretary/Director-level post to the Joint Secretary level in the NTA for an initial period of two years.
Ravi Shanakar — Ministry of Home Affairs
Ravi Shanakar, IAS (GJ:2007), has been appointed Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, for a combined tenure of five years up to July 31, 2028, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will succeed M Ramachandrudu, IAS (BH:2009).
Chittaranjan Dash — Ministry of Home Affairs
Chittaranjan Dash, IRS (UT) (1999), has been appointed Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, for an overall tenure of five years up to January 11, 2028, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Praveen Kumar Rai, IDAS (2003).
P Manoj Kumar — Ministry of Home Affairs
P Manoj Kumar, ISS (1998), has been appointed Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, for an overall tenure of five years up to December 1, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will succeed Parthasarathi Gurrala, CSS.
Abhishek Bhagotia — Ministry of Home Affairs
Abhishek Bhagotia, IAS (AM:2007), has been appointed Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, for a combined tenure stated as seven years up to April 3, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Nishtha Tiwari, IRS (IT) (2005).
Navin Agarwal — Department of Legal Affairs
Navin Agarwal, IRPS (1997), has been appointed Joint Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, for an overall tenure of five years up to March 14, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will succeed Ajay Gupta, IRSS (1993).
M Ramachandrudu — Ministry of Minority Affairs
M Ramachandrudu, IAS (BH:2009), has been appointed Joint Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, for a combined tenure of seven years up to August 26, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Ram Singh, IAS (AM:2008).
Sonia Pant — NITI Aayog
Sonia Pant, IES (2001), has been appointed Adviser at the Joint Secretary level in NITI Aayog for five years from the date of assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will succeed Surender Mehra, IFoS (UD:1999).
Nitin Kumar — Central Vigilance Commission
Nitin Kumar, CSS, has been appointed Additional Secretary at the Joint Secretary level in the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), under the Department of Personnel and Training, for five years from the date of assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Ajay Kumar Kanoujia, CSS.
C. Murugan — Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
C. Murugan, IAS (WB:2007), has been appointed Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, for a combined tenure of five years up to September 15, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will succeed Kamlesh Chaturvedi, IFoS (MP:1988).
Rajneesh Kumar Tomar — National Highways Logistics Management Ltd.
Rajneesh Kumar Tomar, IRSME (1998), has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the Joint Secretary level of National Highways Logistics Management Ltd. (NHLML), under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. His overall tenure is five years up to November 2, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Rajesh Malik, IRSME (1994).
Nishtha Tiwari — DWBDNCs
Nishtha Tiwari, IRS (IT) (2005), has been appointed CEO at the Joint Secretary level of the Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DWBDNCs), under the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. The order specifies a combined tenure of seven years up to December 9, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will succeed Apparao Veerelli, IRSS (1993).
Manisha Trighatia — Department of Urban Development
Manisha Trighatia, IAS (UP:2002), has been appointed Joint Secretary, Department of Urban Development, for five years from the date of assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Roopa Mishra, IAS (OD:2004).
Avinash Jain — Department of Water Resources
Avinash Jain, IRSE (Civil) (2001), has been appointed Joint Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, for an overall tenure of seven years up to February 6, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will succeed Subodh Yadav, IAS (KN:1999).
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Pawan Kumar — National River Conservation Directorate
Pawan Kumar, IRS (C&IT) (2005), has been appointed Joint Secretary, National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD), under the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, for five years from the date of assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Anand Mohan, IFoS (RJ:1996).
Anita Shah Akella — National Commission for Women
Anita Shah Akella, IA&AS (1996), has been appointed Joint Secretary, National Commission for Women (NCW), under the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Her overall tenure is five years up to May 25, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will succeed Radhika Chakravarthy B, IPoS (1996).
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