New Delhi: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Thursday approved the appointment of three senior civil servants as Directors in important ministries of the Government of India. The newly appointed officers are Astik Kumar Pandey, Nalin Bilochan and Harshvardhan Singh Khangarot.
The appointments, notified on May 14, 2026, place the three officers in the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, Ministry of Mines, and Ministry of Steel, respectively, each for a tenure of five years.
Astik Kumar Pandey Appointed Director in Department of Social Justice & Empowerment
Astik Kumar Pandey, a 2011-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, has been appointed as Director in the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment for a period of five years.
Born on February 7, 1985, Pandey holds a B.A. in Defence Studies and an M.A. from the University of Allahabad. He is currently serving as Joint Commissioner at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), a position he assumed on April 17, 2025.
Over his career, he has served in several important administrative roles, including District Collector, Municipal Commissioner, Chief Executive Officer, Assistant Collector, Additional District Magistrate and Commissioner. Fluent in English, Hindi and Marathi, Pandey has built a strong reputation for administrative leadership in Maharashtra.
Nalin Bilochan Named Director in Ministry of Mines
Nalin Bilochan, a 2011-batch Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Taxes) officer, has been appointed as Director in the Ministry of Mines for a five-year tenure after May 19, 2026.
Born on March 1, 1981, and holding a Master of Arts degree, Bilochan joined the civil services on August 29, 2011. He has served in major tax intelligence and enforcement roles, including assignments in the Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence (DGCEI) and the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) in Ahmedabad.
He was promoted to the rank of Joint Commissioner on January 1, 2024, before being selected for central deputation to the Ministry of Mines.
Harshvardhan Singh Khangarot Appointed Director in Ministry of Steel
Harshvardhan Singh Khangarot of the Indian Post & Telecom Accounts and Finance Service (IP&TAFS), 2012 batch, has been appointed as Director in the Ministry of Steel for a period of five years.
An alumnus of St. Stephen’s College, Khangarot has also pursued advanced academic and executive programs through Indira Gandhi National Open University, Harvard University and Georgetown University.
His professional experience spans public finance, telecom revenue assurance and regulatory compliance. He has served as Deputy Controller General of Accounts at the Controller General of Communication Accounts, Director (SEA) in the Department of Telecommunications and Joint Controller in Dimapur. During his tenure there, his unit received the Best Field Unit of DoT Award for 2022–23.
Strengthening Leadership Across Key Ministries
These appointments bring experienced officers from diverse services and backgrounds into strategic policy roles in the Government of India. Their expertise in administration, finance, taxation and regulatory governance is expected to strengthen the functioning of their respective ministries.
