Bureaucratic Reshuffle: 13 Secretaries appointed; four officers get in-situ upgradation

New Delhi: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved a major reshuffle at the Secretary-level in the Government of India on Friday. The decisions include the appointment and transfer of 13 senior officers to Secretary-level positions and in-situ upgradation of four officers to the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.

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According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Katikithala Srinivas, IAS (GJ:89), presently Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER).

Vineet Joshi, IAS (MN:92), currently Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, succeeding Vivek Bhardwaj, IAS (WB:90) upon his superannuation on July 31, 2026.

Following Joshi's transfer, Naresh Pal Gangwar, IAS (RJ:94), presently Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.

The ACC has appointed Piyush Goyal, IAS (NL:94), Secretary, Ministry of Mines, as Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.

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T. K. Anil Kumar, IAS (KN:95), Additional Secretary, Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development, has been elevated as Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education.

In another significant appointment, Sushil Kumar Lohani, IAS (OR:95), Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India. He will subsequently assume charge as Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying following the appointment of Naresh Pal Gangwar to the Ministry of Education.

The ACC also approved the appointment of Archana Varma, IAS (AM:95), Mission Director, National Water Mission, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, as Mission Director, National Water Mission in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India by temporarily upgrading the post to Secretary level. She will later take over as Secretary, Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs, succeeding Ansuli Arya, IAS (BH:89) upon her retirement on September 30, 2026.

Keshav Chandra, IAS (AGMUT:95), currently serving in the cadre as Secretary, Ministry of Mines, has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Mines, succeeding Piyush Goyal following his appointment as Secretary General, NHRC.

The ACC has appointed D. Thara, IAS (GJ:95), Additional Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, as Secretary, Department of Capital Development, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, against a vacant Secretary-level post.

B. Rajender, IAS (BH:96), currently Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Department of Personnel & Training, has been appointed in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India by temporarily upgrading the post to Secretary level. He will succeed Sriram Taranikanti, IAS (TR:92) upon his superannuation on July 31, 2026.

Further, Chandra Bhushan Kumar, IAS (AGMUT:96), presently in the cadre as Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, has been appointed as Secretary in the same ministry, succeeding Vandana Gurnani, IAS (KN:91) upon her retirement on July 31, 2026.

Satendra Singh, IAS (JH:95), Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Urban Development, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.

The ACC has also appointed Suchindra Misra (IDAS:92), Special Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, as Secretary, National Commission for Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.

Four officers get in-situ upgradation

Besides the appointments, the ACC approved in-situ upgradation of four senior officers to the level of Special Secretary in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India by temporarily upgrading the posts held by them.

The officers are:

• Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, IAS (UP:95), Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs.

• Santosh Kumar Yadav, IAS (UP:95), Chairman, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.

• Rajeev Singh Thakur, IAS (RJ:95), Adviser, NITI Aayog.

• Dilip Kumar, IAS (PB:96), Director General (Training), Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.

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