New Delhi: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has cleared the appointment of three senior Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officers as Members of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
The appointments have been made based on the recommendations of the concerned selection committee and include Pallavi Agarwal, Sunil Kumar Singh and Vatsalaa Jha.
The appointments bring three highly experienced officers from the Income Tax Department into the apex policy-making body responsible for direct tax administration in the country.
Among the three officers, Vatsalaa Jha has the longest remaining service tenure and is scheduled to retire in August 2029. Pallavi Agarwal and Sunil Kumar Singh are scheduled to complete their service in December 2027.
Pallavi Agarwal: 1991-Batch IRS Officer
Pallavi Agarwal is a senior 1991-batch IRS (Income Tax) officer and is currently serving as Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Exemptions, Delhi.
She has more than three decades of experience in the Income Tax Department and has held several important positions during her career.
Ms Agarwal holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Master of Arts (M.A.) in English.
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Her career has included assignments within the Income Tax Department as well as a central deputation to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, where she served as Joint Secretary.
After returning to the Income Tax Department, she held several senior positions in Delhi, including Chief Commissioner of Income Tax and Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, International Taxation.
Experience in International Taxation and Exemptions
Ms Agarwal’s experience includes work in areas involving international taxation, tax administration and institutional compliance.
During her tenure in the International Taxation charge in Delhi, she was associated with initiatives aimed at improving communication and compliance involving taxpayers with international tax obligations.
Her current assignment as Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Exemptions), Delhi places her at the helm of an important area dealing with tax-exempt institutions and entities.
The exemptions framework covers a wide range of organisations and institutions, including trusts, charitable institutions and other entities claiming income-tax exemptions.
Her elevation to the CBDT will bring this experience in exemptions, taxation and administration to the board responsible for framing and overseeing direct-tax policy.
Sunil Kumar Singh: 1992-Batch IRS Officer
Sunil Kumar Singh is a 1992-batch IRS (Income Tax) officer with more than three decades of experience in tax administration and investigation.
He is currently serving as Director General of Income Tax (Investigation), Ahmedabad.
His career has included senior positions involving income-tax investigation, tax enforcement, financial intelligence and tracking of suspected tax evasion.
As DG (Investigation), Singh has been responsible for overseeing investigation-related activities in Gujarat, including cases involving suspected tax evasion, undisclosed income and complex financial transactions.
His experience in the investigation wing is particularly relevant to the CBDT, which plays a central role in designing India’s direct-tax compliance and enforcement framework.
Mr Singh’s Role in Tax Investigation
The Investigation Directorate of the Income Tax Department plays a crucial role in identifying cases involving suspected tax evasion, undisclosed assets and complex financial arrangements.
Singh’s current assignment at Ahmedabad has given him experience in supervising tax investigation operations at the regional level.
His appointment to the CBDT is expected to bring this field-level enforcement experience to the central board at a time when the Income Tax Department is increasingly relying on data analytics, digital information and inter-agency intelligence to improve tax compliance.
Singh is scheduled to remain in service until December 2027.
Vatsalaa Jha: 1992-Batch Officer With Longest Tenure
Vatsalaa Jha is another senior 1992-batch IRS (Income Tax) officer selected for the CBDT.
She is currently serving as Director General of Income Tax (Investigation), North West Region, Chandigarh.
Her jurisdiction covers a strategically important and geographically extensive region comprising Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.
With a service tenure extending until August 2029, Jha will have the longest remaining tenure among the three newly appointed CBDT Members.
Her appointment is therefore expected to provide continuity to the board over the coming years.
Jha’s Extensive Administrative Experience
Jha holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree and has spent more than three decades in public service under the Ministry of Finance.
Before becoming DG (Investigation), North West Region, she held several important positions in the Income Tax Department and the Ministry of Finance.
Her career includes serving as Principal Commissioner of Income Tax (Pr. CIT-19), Mumbai, as well as a Director in the Ministry of Finance.
Her professional experience has included tax administration, investigation, compliance and policy-related responsibilities.
Over the course of her career, she has been associated with efforts aimed at strengthening taxpayer facilitation, improving compliance and expanding the tax base while maintaining vigilance against tax evasion.
What Is the CBDT?
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is the apex statutory authority responsible for the administration of direct taxes in India.
It functions under the Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance and plays a central role in formulating policies relating to income tax and other direct taxes.
CBDT Members oversee various functional areas of the Income Tax Department and assist in framing tax policy, improving compliance, administering tax laws and supervising the department’s operations.
The appointment of senior officers with experience across investigation, exemptions, international taxation and tax administration is therefore significant for the functioning of the board.
Three Different Areas of Expertise
The three officers bring different areas of experience to the CBDT.
Agarwal’s career has included senior responsibilities in exemptions, international taxation and central government administration.
Singh has extensive experience in tax investigation and enforcement, particularly through his current assignment as DG (Investigation), Ahmedabad.
Jha’s career has combined investigation, tax administration and Ministry of Finance responsibilities, along with her current leadership of the Income Tax Investigation Directorate in the North West Region.
Their combined experience covers several critical areas of direct-tax administration.
Tenure of the Three New CBDT Members
Of the three officers, Vatsalaa Jha will have the longest tenure, remaining in service until August 2029.
Pallavi Agarwal and Sunil Kumar Singh are both scheduled to retire in December 2027.
The difference in their remaining service periods means Jha could provide longer-term continuity on the board, while Agarwal and Singh bring immediate experience from their respective senior field and policy assignments.
The appointments come at a time when India’s direct-tax administration is undergoing continued digitalisation and increasingly relies on technology, data-driven compliance and information sharing to identify tax risks.
Strengthening the Direct Tax Administration
The appointment of three senior IRS officers to the CBDT is expected to strengthen the board’s administrative and policy capacity.
The officers have served in different parts of the tax administration, giving them experience ranging from investigation and enforcement to international taxation, exemptions and central government policymaking.
Their elevation to the CBDT will place them directly within the country’s top direct-tax policy and administrative structure, where they will contribute to decisions affecting tax policy, compliance, enforcement and taxpayer services.
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