Jaipur/Gandhi Nagar/New Delhi: As reported by us, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Friday, November 28, 2025, approved the repatriation of IAS officer Mahajan to the Rajasthan cadre. The order also imposes an extended cooling-off period. Until now, Mahajan was serving as Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce.
Sources indicate a strong possibility that Mahajan may be posted in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) as Secretary upon his return to the state government.
Career and Central Deputation of Mahajan
Mahajan began his central deputation in November 2021 as Joint Secretary in the Office of the Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla. He continued in the Speaker’s Secretariat until March 26, 2024, after which he was appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry for a three-year tenure ending on November 7, 2024.
His tenure had been extendable up to seven years until November 7, 2028, subject to cadre clearance. In October 2024, the tenure was formally extended for a combined period of seven years — until November 7, 2028, or until further orders — before today’s ACC order repatriated him to Rajasthan.
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Ajay Kumar Repatriated to Gujarat Cadre
Similarly, IAS officer Ajay Kumar (IAS:2006:GJ), currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce, has been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre, Gujarat. The ACC, following a proposal from the Ministry of Defence, approved his repatriation effective December 31, 2025 (AN), along with the imposition of an extended cooling-off period. Kumar’s central deputation was originally scheduled to end on July 14, 2026.
Career Highlights of Ajay Kumar
Ajay Kumar’s central deputation began on July 12, 2019, when he was appointed Private Secretary to Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. He assumed charge on August 2, 2019, for a five-year tenure and continued until October 2, 2022. He was then transferred as Joint Secretary in the Department of Defence for the remaining tenure of his deputation up to July 14, 2024.
His tenure was subsequently extended for two more years, up to July 14, 2026, before the ACC approved his premature repatriation.
Implications of Repatriation
These repatriations indicate a reshuffle in the central deputation of senior IAS officers and may pave the way for their strategic roles in state administrations. Mahajan’s potential posting in the Rajasthan CMO suggests his expertise may be leveraged for state governance initiatives, while Kumar’s return to Gujarat aligns with similar administrative restructuring.
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