2010 batch former IAS officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre Shah Faesal has been appointed as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Culture for four years, according to a government notification issued on August 30. He made headlines in 2019 when quit his service to float his own political party in the state and then also quit politics later.
He is a 2008 batch graduate of the Jhelum Valley Medical College. He holds an MBBS degree from Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar as well as has a master’s degree in Urdu. He finished MBBS at 26 and left IAS at 35.
“Shri Shah Faesal, IAS who was recommended for Central deputation by the Ministry of Home Affairs has been selected for appointment as Deputy Secretary in the M/o Culture, Delhi under the Central Staffing Scheme for a period of four years from the date of taking over charge of the post or until further orders, whichever event takes place earlier. He may kindly be relieved of his duties immediately with instructions to take up his new assignment in the M/o Culture,” stated the government notification.
Earlier in April this year, Faesal had rejoined his government service. In a series of tweets, he spoke about his idealism letting him down in 2019 when he resigned from the government service to join politics.
”8 months of my life (Jan 2019-Aug 2019) created so much baggage that I was almost finished. While chasing a chimera, I lost almost everything that I had built over the years. Job. Friends. Reputation. Public goodwill. But I never lost hope. My idealism had let me down,” he had said.
He floated his own political party named Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement in March that year and had plans to contest the assembly elections which were to be held.
He was arrested in the wake of the Abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into union territories on August 5, 2019.