Who is Dr Neeraj Mittal, the new Petroleum Secretary?

New Delhi: New Delhi: Dr Neeraj Mittal (IAS), a 1992-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, has assumed charge as Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG) with effect from January 1. He was previously serving as Secretary of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

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An Electrical Engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur, Mittal holds an MBA from Cranfield University, UK, and a PhD in Economics/MIS from the Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University, USA. He has several academic publications to his credit.

Mittal joined the IAS in 1992 and has held a wide range of administrative assignments across land and revenue management, mines and minerals, IT and communications, and e-governance. During his Central deputation, he served in the Department of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.

In his home cadre, he has held several senior positions, including CEO of the Tamil Nadu Industrial Guidance and Export Promotion Bureau, Additional Chief Secretary in the Information Technology and Digital Services Department, and MD & CEO of the Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation.

Mittal took various initiatives including- roject "Arrow" in Department of Post, "e-Biz" project in Department of Commerce, world’s largest Cash Transfer Program in LPG in India (PaHaL) and "GiveItUp" initative in Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas which leverage technology to simplify processes, improve efficiency, convenience, participation and transparency in governance. One of his initiative, "Project Lakshya," transparency portal that allowed real time visibility of 3 million LPG deliveries per day to LPG consumers received National E-Governance Award.

As Petroleum Secretary, Mittal oversees the entire oil and gas sector, including policy formulation, exploration, production, refining, distribution, marketing, import-export, conservation, and the promotion of clean energy. He is also responsible for ensuring energy security and access for India’s growing economy.

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