New Delhi: The Indian government has appointed two Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers to key positions in the Central Government, effective this week.
2013 batch IFS officer of Gujarat cadre, mr Abhishek Kumar has been appointed as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued the appointment order on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. According to the order, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Mr. Kumar’s appointment for a tenure of up to April 2, 2027. This will be his combined admissible tenure of four years at the Deputy Secretary level, which includes both non-CSS and CSS posts, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
On the following day, Thursday, March 6, 2025, Dheeraj Mittal, an IFS officer of 2012 batch from Gujarat cadre, was appointed as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Food & Public Distribution. The DoPT’s order indicates that Mr. Mittal will serve in the role until July 26, 2026, with a similar four-year tenure at the Deputy Secretary level, encompassing both non-CSS and CSS posts, or until further orders, whichever comes first.
These appointments reflect the ongoing strengthening of the administrative framework of key ministries and come as part of the government’s efforts to enhance its operational efficiency.