1996 batch IAS officer Vandana Dadel of Jharkhand cadre has been appointed as the new Home Secretary of Jharkhand, succeeding 2008 batch IAS officer Arava Rajkamal of Jharkhand cadre. The Election Commission of India has given its approval to Ms. Dadel’s appointment.
Prior to this, Mr. Arava Rajkamal, who also served as Secretary to the Chief Minister, assumed the additional responsibilities of Home, Prisons, and Disaster Management Department on March 5. However, he was relieved from the position of Home Secretary by the Election Commission on March 18, marking a tenure of just 13 days.
Following the Election Commission’s directive on Monday, which aimed at ensuring impartiality during the Lok Sabha elections by removing home secretaries holding additional roles in chief minister’s offices, the Jharkhand government forwarded three names for consideration: Ms. Vandana Dadel, Mr. Manish Ranjan (IAS:2002:JH), and Mr. Aboobacker Siddique P (IAS:2003:JH). Ultimately, Ms. Vandana Dadel was selected to assume the role of Home Secretary.