New Delhi: The Centre has announced three personnel decisions involving the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and the Ministry of Steel. The decisions, notified on October 27, 2026, include the appointment of Anirudh Yadav as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Union Minister Manohar Lal and the premature repatriation of two officers to their parent cadres.
Anirudh Yadav Appointed OSD to Manohar Lal
Anirudh Yadav, identified in the notification as a private person, has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty to Manohar Lal, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Power. He will serve in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for a period of four years.
The appointment is at the level of Deputy Secretary, with pay at Level 12 of the pay matrix, according to the appointment details reported on October 27. The tenure is linked to the Minister’s tenure or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
As OSD, Yadav will be part of the Minister’s office, which coordinates official work and facilitates communication with the Ministry and other government departments. However, the notification does not provide details of his previous professional experience or educational qualifications, and no further biographical information has been established from the available details.
Davinder Chodha Repatriated to Parent Cadre
Davinder Chodha, a 2015-batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), has been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre. He was serving as Deputy Secretary in the Government e-Marketplace under the Department of Commerce.
The repatriation order provides for an extended cooling-off period. Chodha has been directed to be relieved from his current assignment and report to his parent cadre.
Chodha belongs to the IRS (Income Tax) 2015 batch. He was appointed Deputy Secretary in GeM in 2025, with the assignment originally scheduled to continue until March 2028. His premature repatriation brings the central deputation assignment to an early end.
The Government e-Marketplace is a digital public procurement platform that enables government departments and eligible public institutions to procure goods and services online. As Deputy Secretary, Chodha was serving in the platform’s administrative framework under the Department of Commerce.
The notification does not specify a reason for his premature repatriation beyond the decision to return him to his parent cadre with an extended cooling-off period.
Harshvardhan Singh Khangarot Repatriated on Administrative Grounds
Harshvardhan Singh Khangarot, a 2012-batch officer of the Indian Post and Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service (IP&TAFS), has also been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre. He was serving as Director in the Ministry of Steel.
Unlike Chodha’s order, Khangarot’s repatriation has been explicitly described as being on administrative grounds. The order also includes an extended cooling-off period and directs him to be relieved from his current responsibilities to report to his parent cadre.
Khangarot belongs to a central accounts and finance service associated with financial administration, accounting and related functions in the communications and telecommunications sectors. His previous assignments have included responsibilities in the Department of Telecommunications, including work connected with communication accounts and departmental administration.
He has also served as Director in the Department of Telecommunications, gaining experience in central government policy and administrative functions. His repatriation from the Ministry of Steel marks an early end to his current assignment.
The order does not disclose further details about the administrative considerations behind the decision.
Three Personnel Decisions on October 27
The three notifications cover a ministerial appointment and two premature repatriations. While Anirudh Yadav’s appointment places him in the office of the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, Chodha and Khangarot have been directed to return to their respective parent cadres.
The orders form part of the Centre’s ongoing management of appointments and deputation assignments across ministries and departments.
