New Delhi: In a series of key administrative moves, the Centre has extended the tenure of Manoj Sethi (ICAS:1993) as Joint Secretary & Financial Adviser (JS&FA) in the Department of Fertilizers till February 2027. Simultaneously, IAS officer P Hemalatha (IAS:2000:KN) has received ex-post facto approval for holding additional charge as Chairman of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and an extension as Secretary of the Spices Board.
Details of Manoj Sethi Tenure Extension
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued an order on Tuesday (17 February 2026) stating that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the extension of Sethi’s central deputation.
Manoj Sethi has been serving in the Department of Fertilizers since September 2023. His deputation was initially set to end on 4 February 2025, then extended to 4 February 2026, and with the latest approval, he will continue till 4 February 2027, or until further orders.
Before his tenure in the Fertilizers Department, Sethi was on central deputation at the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as Joint Secretary & Financial Adviser from February 4, 2020, serving a five-year term.
P Hemalatha Receives Ex-Post Facto Approval as MPEDA Chairman
P Hemalatha, currently Development Commissioner, SEZ, Cochin, has been granted ex-post facto approval for holding additional charge as Chairman of MPEDA, covering the period from 18 December 2025 to 2 January 2026.
The DoPT order confirms that the ACC approved the Department of Commerce’s proposal to regularize her additional charge.
Extension as Secretary, Spices Board
P Hemalatha has also recently received a three-month extension as Secretary of the Spices Board, a position she has held in an additional capacity since January 2025. This move underscores the government’s reliance on experienced IAS officers to manage key regulatory and export promotion institutions.
Read also: IAS Tina Soni’s Tenure as Director, Department of Fertilizers Extended
