New Delhi: In a significant round of bureaucratic reshuffle, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the premature repatriation of three senior officers – Archana Agrawal (IAS:1990:UP), Tripti Gurha (IRTS:1993), and Abhishek Kumar (IFoS:2013:GJ) – to their respective parent cadres on personal grounds.
The decisions, made public through formal orders issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), reflect key transitions in the Ministries of Housing and Urban Affairs, Women & Child Development, and Cooperation, respectively.
Archana Agrawal Returns to Uttar Pradesh Cadre
Senior IAS officer Archana Agrawal (IAS:1990:UP), serving as Member Secretary in the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), has been prematurely repatriated to her parent Uttar Pradesh cadre.
The repatriation has been approved on personal grounds, as per the DoPT order dated October 13, 2025.
Ms. Agrawal joined the NCRPB in April 2019 as Additional Secretary, and was later promoted to the Secretary rank in May 2022, following her empanelment in October 2021. Her central deputation began in February 2016, when she assumed charge as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Power, a position she held until her move to the urban development sector.
Tripti Gurha Repatriated from Ministry of Women & Child Development
In another key development, Tripti Gurha (IRTS:1993), who was serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), has also been prematurely repatriated to her parent cadre, with extended cooling-off.
Ms. Gurha had joined the MoWCD as Joint Secretary in August 2021, for a five-year term. She was empanelled as Additional Secretary in December 2023, and subsequently elevated to that position in January 2024.
Her repatriation has been attributed to personal grounds, and will be subject to the cooling-off rules typically applicable to officers returning before completing their full deputation tenure.
Abhishek Kumar Repatriated from Ministry of Cooperation
Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Abhishek Kumar (2013:GJ), who was serving as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation, has also been prematurely repatriated to his Gujarat cadre.
As per the DoPT order dated October 10, 2025, the proposal from the Ministry of Cooperation was approved by the competent authority. Mr. Kumar had joined the Ministry in March 2025 under the Central Staffing Scheme, and was initially scheduled to continue his tenure until April 2, 2027.
His repatriation is also on personal grounds and includes a provision for extended cooling-off, as per standard deputation rules.
Central Staffing Scheme
These repatriations are part of the routine movement of officers under the Central Staffing Scheme, but the simultaneous return of three senior officials from different ministries highlights the ongoing reshuffling in the senior administrative machinery.
Such transitions often pave the way for new appointments and deputations, impacting the internal functioning and leadership of key policy-making and implementation bodies.
