New Delhi: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved two appointments to key government positions, with Gautam Ghosh named Executive Member of the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) and Inder Pal Singh Sethi appointed Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA).
Ghosh was serving as Chief Engineer in the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) under the Ministry of Power before his appointment to the NCA. Sethi, a retired Scientist ‘G’ of the National Informatics Centre (NIC), has been selected to head the regulatory framework governing Certifying Authorities in India.
The appointments were communicated through official information notes and orders in October 2026.
Gautam Ghosh Appointed Executive Member of Narmada Control Authority
Gautam Ghosh, a 2000-batch officer of the Central Power Engineering Service (CPES), has been appointed Executive Member of the Narmada Control Authority following approval by the ACC.
Before this appointment, Ghosh served as Chief Engineer at the Central Electricity Authority, the statutory organisation responsible for providing technical and advisory support to the power sector under the Ministry of Power.
His new assignment places him in a key executive position in an authority responsible for coordinating the implementation of decisions concerning the use and management of Narmada waters and the sharing of benefits from the Sardar Sarovar Project.
Some reports spell his name as Goutam Ghosh, although Gautam Ghosh is the spelling used in the appointment information provided.
What Is the Narmada Control Authority?
The Narmada Control Authority was constituted in 1980 under the Narmada Water Scheme to implement the decisions and directions of the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal.
Headquartered in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, the authority oversees important aspects of the inter-state management of Narmada waters and the implementation of decisions concerning the river system.
Its responsibilities include the storage, apportionment, regulation and control of Narmada waters, as well as the sharing of power benefits from the Sardar Sarovar Project. The authority is also involved in matters concerning regulated water releases and rehabilitation-related issues arising from project implementation.
The Executive Member position is part of the authority’s leadership structure, supporting the implementation of decisions governing the use of the river’s water resources and related project benefits.
Inder Pal Singh Sethi Appointed Controller of Certifying Authorities
In a separate decision, the ACC has approved the appointment of Inder Pal Singh Sethi, a retired Scientist ‘G’ of the National Informatics Centre, as Controller of Certifying Authorities.
According to the appointment communication, the necessary information has been sent to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Sethi has spent a substantial part of his professional career at the National Informatics Centre, a government technology organisation that supports digital governance and information technology infrastructure across central and state government institutions.
During his career at NIC, he held senior positions, including Deputy Director General and Senior Deputy Director General. He subsequently took charge as Director General of NIC on January 1, 2025, succeeding Rajesh Gera.
He later retired from active service at NIC with the institutional rank of Scientist ‘G’.
Sethi’s Role in Digital Governance and Cybersecurity
Sethi’s professional background includes senior-level responsibilities in government information technology and digital infrastructure. His work at NIC was associated with the development and operation of technology systems supporting public administration.
Reports about his career have also highlighted his involvement in cybersecurity efforts aimed at protecting government digital infrastructure from cyberattacks. However, specific claims about the scale and nature of these operations would require confirmation from authoritative sources.
His appointment as Controller of Certifying Authorities brings his technology and public-sector experience to a regulatory position central to India’s digital authentication framework.
What Does the Controller of Certifying Authorities Do?
The Controller of Certifying Authorities operates under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and oversees the regulatory framework for Certifying Authorities in India.
Certifying Authorities issue digital signature certificates used to authenticate electronic transactions and establish the identity of individuals or entities in digital environments. The Controller’s responsibilities include licensing and regulating Certifying Authorities and administering relevant standards and procedures under the legal framework.
The position is important to the trust and security mechanisms underpinning electronic transactions, digital signatures and other forms of legally recognised electronic authentication.
Two Appointments Across Power Management and Digital Regulation
The two ACC-approved appointments cover different areas of government administration. Ghosh’s appointment places a power-sector engineering officer in an executive role overseeing the implementation of decisions on inter-state water management and the benefits of the Sardar Sarovar Project.
Sethi’s appointment, meanwhile, brings a former senior NIC official to the regulatory position responsible for India’s Certifying Authorities framework.
Both appointments concern specialised roles requiring technical and administrative expertise in their respective sectors.
