New Delhi: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension of temporary upgradation of the post of Joint Secretary & Financial Advisor to the level of Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor in the Ministry of Women & Child Development. This post is currently held by Nitishwar Kumar, a 1996-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Uttar Pradesh cadre.
The upgraded position will remain effective until September 30, 2026, allowing Kumar to continue serving in this elevated capacity for the next year.
A Distinguished Career in Service of the Nation
Before his current assignment, Nitishwar Kumar served as Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, during a crucial administrative period in the region. His expertise in finance and governance has been instrumental in various roles, especially in ministries that require strong coordination between states and the central government.
read also: UP: IAS Officer Accused of Harassment in Noida Tax Dept – Who He Is & What the Complaint Says?
Who is IAS Nitishwar Kumar?
Born in Bettiah, Bihar, Nitishwar Kumar comes from a modest background. His father worked in the post office, and he completed his early education at Christ Raja High School before moving on to Science College Patna for his intermediate studies in Science.
Despite his family’s wish for him to pursue engineering, he had other plans. He moved to Delhi, driven by a dream sparked in his childhood when he first heard the term “IAS” in a General Studies class. That moment stayed with him and eventually became the guiding force in his life.
A Journey Fueled by Passion and Perseverance
Nitishwar pursued Economics Honours at Ramjas College, Delhi, where he immersed himself in music and cultural events, fulfilling interests his conservative background had once restricted. He later completed a Master’s degree from the Delhi School of Economics, where he began preparing seriously for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
He initially faced disappointment, missing the Civil Services Mains cutoff by just a few marks in 1993. At the time, he was teaching at IIMT Ghaziabad, earning a respectable salary of ₹18,000–20,000 per month. But he made a bold choice — he quit the job to fully dedicate himself to UPSC preparation.
His hard work paid off when he cracked the Indian Economic Service (IES) in 1995. But not satisfied, he sat for the IAS again. While undergoing IES training in Mumbai, he received a call from his friends in Delhi — he had cleared the UPSC Civil Services Exam with an All India Rank of 36 in 1996.
“I called home to share the news, but no one answered. So, I called a neighbor and asked them to tell my mother that I had become a collector,” he once recalled with emotion.
From Azamgarh to Delhi: Steady Rise in the Bureaucracy
His first posting as an IAS officer was as Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. Over the years, he steadily climbed the ranks and took on pivotal roles in both state and central governments.
Currently, as Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor in the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Kumar plays a critical role in budgeting, financial planning, and overseeing key social welfare schemes targeted at empowering women and improving child welfare across the nation.
