New Delhi: In a significant bureaucratic move, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Tuesday announced a major reshuffle of Additional Secretaries from various services, batches, and cadres. The reshuffle includes transfers, promotions, and in-situ elevations across key ministries and departments, reflecting a strategic alignment of senior officials to meet the government’s policy priorities.
This reshuffle affects a wide range of officers from IAS, IES, IDES, IRS, and IPoS, ensuring leadership continuity in crucial sectors such as Civil Aviation, Social Justice, Finance, Home Affairs, Agriculture, Environment, and Commerce.
Key Appointments and Transfers
Civil Aviation & Social Justice:
- Puneet Kansal (IAS: 1996: SK) has been appointed as Additional Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, by temporarily upgrading a vacant post of Joint Secretary.
- Mona K Khandar (IAS: 1996: GJ) takes charge as Additional Secretary, Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
Personnel, Governance & Regulatory Bodies:
- Faiz Ahmed Kidwai (IAS: 1996: MP) appointed as Additional Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training (current DG, DGCA).
- Vir Vikram Yadav (IAS: 1996: OR) appointed DG, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, replacing Faiz Ahmed Kidwai.
- Vishal Gagan (IAS: 1998: OR) appointed Secretary, Central Information Commission (CIC), in the rank of Additional Secretary.
- N Gulzar (IAS: 1999: AP) moves from Department of Telecommunications to Member Secretary, National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB), Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
Finance, Power & Commerce:
- Diwakar Nath Misra (IAS: 2000: AM) appointed Additional Secretary, Ministry of Power, replacing his earlier post in the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.
- Debasish Prusty (IAS: 2000: RJ) becomes Additional Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance.
- Ansuman Pattanaik (IRS IT: 1994) appointed Additional Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs (currently DG at Competition Commission of India).
- Hari Har Mishra (IDAS: 1998) appointed Additional Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance.
Prime Minister’s Office & Key Ministries:
- Sridhar Chiruvolu (IAS: 2001: BH) elevated in-situ as Additional Secretary, PMO.
- Arti Kanwar (IAS: 2001: GJ) appointed Additional Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, replacing Rohit Kansal (IAS: 1995: AGMUT).
- Darpan Jain (IAS: 2001: KN) becomes Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce.
- Anuj Sharma (IDES: 1991) appointed Additional Secretary, Department of Home, Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Lokhande Prashant Sitaram (IAS: 2001: AGMUT) appointed Additional Secretary, Department of Home.
- Ankita Mishra Bundela (IAS: 2001: AGMUT) appointed Additional Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
Other Notable Appointments:
- Vijay Nehra (IAS: 2001: GJ) elevated as Additional Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare.
- Siddharth Jain (IAS: 2001: AP) becomes Additional Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation.
- Neetu Kumari Prasad (IAS: 2001: TG) appointed Additional Secretary, Department of Revenue.
- Meenaxi Rawat (IES: 1993) appointed Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- Yashvir Singh (IES: 1996) appointed Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, by temporarily upgrading a vacant DS/Director post.
- Nigar Fatima Husain (IDES: 1996) appointed Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
- Aparna Bhatia (IES: 1996) appointed Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
- Veena Kumari Dermal (IPoS: 1998) appointed Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mines.
In-Situ Elevations
As part of the reshuffle, two IAS officers were elevated in-situ to the rank of Additional Secretary:
- Sarita Chauhan Chand (IAS: 1999: AGMUT), Joint Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances.
- Pankaj Yadav (IAS: 2001: HY), Joint Secretary, Department of Rural Development.
Strategic Implications
The ACC’s reshuffle highlights the government’s focus on strengthening administrative leadership in priority sectors such as Civil Aviation, Social Justice, Finance, Agriculture, and Governance. Temporary upgrades and in-situ elevations ensure continuity while providing deserving senior officers with expanded responsibilities, enhancing policy implementation across ministries.
