Patna: Bihar has witnessed a major administrative reshuffle since Samrat Choudhary took oath as Chief Minister on April 15, 2026. In the first 209 days of his government, 143 IAS officers were transferred or assigned new responsibilities, with changes spanning key departments, district administrations and state-level institutions.
The Education Department recorded the highest number of senior-level changes, with seven IAS officers moving through important positions. The Home, Finance, Rural Development, Urban Development and Housing departments also saw significant changes in their leadership.
Several officers, including Pankaj Kumar (IAS: 1997: BH) and Deepak Kumar Singh (IAS: 1992: BH), featured in multiple rounds of administrative changes, either through transfers or additional responsibilities.
143 IAS Officers Shifted Across Multiple Rounds
The reshuffle began soon after the new government took charge. Within the first 41 days, by May 5, the state government had transferred 49 IAS officers, 24 IPS officers and 61 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs).
The subsequent rounds of IAS transfers and changes in responsibilities unfolded as follows:
- June 2026 – 21 IAS officers: Eleven districts received new District Magistrates. Thiyagarajan S M (IAS: 2011: BH), who was serving as Patna DM, was appointed Chairperson of the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB). Kundan Kumar (IAS: 2004: BH), then DM of Nalanda, was brought in as Patna DM.
- July 2026 – 16 IAS officers: Deepak Anand (IAS: 2007: BH) was moved from the Food and Consumer Protection Department to the Sports Department. Divesh Sehra (IAS: 2005: BH) took over his previous assignment. Abhay Kumar Singh (IAS: 2004: BH) was appointed Secretary of the Rural Works Department while retaining additional charge of the Information Technology Department. Dharmendra Kumar was appointed Chairperson-cum-Managing Director of the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation, while Rajiv Roshan (IAS: 2010: BH) became Secretary of the Education Department.
- August 2026 – 40 IAS officers: The month recorded the largest round of changes, with officers transferred or given new responsibilities in three phases. H R Srinivas (IAS: 1996: BH) was posted as Additional Chief Secretary of the Rural Development Department. Pankaj Kumar (IAS: 1997: BH) was appointed Principal Secretary of the Home Department. Vinay Kumar was assigned charge of the Finance Department along with additional responsibility for the Urban Development and Housing Department. Several districts also received new DMs.
- September 2026 – 8 IAS officers: Vivek Ranjan Maitrey (IAS: 2017: BH) was appointed Director of Sports, among other changes in departmental assignments.
- October 2026 – 6 IAS officers: C K Anil (IAS: 1991: BH) was appointed Additional Chief Secretary of the Education Department. Pankaj Kumar was also assigned the additional responsibility of Inquiry Commissioner.
- November 2026 – 3 IAS officers: Deepak Kumar Singh (IAS: 1992: BH) was shifted from the Governor’s Secretariat to the Revenue Board. Kanwal Tanuj (IAS: 2010: BH) was appointed Secretary of the Finance Department while retaining additional charge of Planning and Development. Rachna Patil (IAS: 2010: BH) was moved from Finance to the Governor’s Secretariat as Secretary to the Governor.
Education Department Sees Frequent Leadership Changes
The Education Department, which has an annual budget of approximately ₹68,000 crore, experienced the most frequent changes in senior administrative leadership during the period.
B Rajendra, who had taken over as Additional Chief Secretary in September 2025 after S Siddharth, was relieved of the assignment on May 15, 2026. Vinod Singh Gunjiyal (IAS: 2007: BH) succeeded him but remained in the position for around two months before Rajiv Roshan took charge as Secretary of the department.
Other notable changes included the removal of Anand Kishor from the post of BSEB Chairperson in June, after nearly a decade in the position. He was subsequently moved to the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department.
Sajjan Rajsekhar was removed as Director of Secondary Education in August. Vikram Virkar, who was handling primary education, was shifted to serve as District Magistrate of Khagaria. Later, C K Anil was appointed Additional Chief Secretary of the department, while Manoj Kumar was also assigned a senior responsibility.
Repeated Changes in Home and Other Key Departments
The Home Department also witnessed multiple changes in its senior leadership. The August reshuffle brought Pankaj Kumar into the department as Principal Secretary, while other rounds of transfers altered responsibilities across the state’s administrative structure.
The Finance Department and the Urban Development and Housing Department also saw changes in their leadership and additional-charge arrangements. The November appointments of Kanwal Tanuj and Rachna Patil further changed the allocation of responsibilities between Finance and the Governor’s Secretariat.
The sequence of transfers over the 209-day period marks a substantial reorganisation of Bihar’s administrative machinery, with several senior officers receiving new departmental assignments and district-level responsibilities.
