Jaipur: The Centre has reportedly declined the Rajasthan government’s request to bring back four senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers from central deputation, adding to the state’s administrative challenges amid a shortage of experienced bureaucrats.
The Rajasthan government had approached the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), seeking the return of officers who have been serving outside the state for several years. The state reportedly argued that their administrative experience was needed to strengthen governance, accelerate the implementation of Budget announcements and improve the monitoring of welfare and development schemes.
The four officers whose return was sought are Naresh Pal Gangwar, Rajeev Singh Thakur, Roli Singh and Rajat Kumar Mishra.
The development comes as the state government faces a shortage of officers available for regular postings, with several senior IAS officers reportedly handling multiple departmental responsibilities.
Four Senior IAS Officers Whose Return Was Sought
The four officers belong to the Rajasthan cadre and have held important assignments in the Union government and other administrative establishments.
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Their current responsibilities include:
- Naresh Pal Gangwar (1994 batch): Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India. He has previously served in Rajasthan’s Education, Planning and Energy departments and has experience as a district collector.
- Rajeev Singh Thakur (1995 batch): A senior Rajasthan cadre officer who has served as an Adviser to NITI Aayog. He has also been assigned to the Manipur government on inter-cadre deputation. His earlier responsibilities in Rajasthan included serving as Collector of Alwar and Jhalawar.
- Roli Singh (1994 batch): Chairperson of the National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention. She has previously served in the Union Health Ministry and held administrative responsibilities in Rajasthan, including in the Department of Personnel.
- Rajat Kumar Mishra (1992 batch): Secretary, Department of Fertilizers, under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. His earlier assignments in Rajasthan included serving as Collector of Jodhpur and Jaisalmer and holding responsibilities in the Finance Department.
The officers have experience in areas such as personnel administration, finance, energy, health, district administration and policy implementation.
Why Rajasthan Wants Senior IAS Officers Back
The state government’s request is linked to its requirement for experienced officers to oversee major administrative and development priorities.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s government is approaching the completion of three years in office in December 2026. Timely implementation of Budget announcements, delivery of welfare benefits and monitoring of infrastructure projects are among the priorities cited in the state’s reported request.
The experience of the four officers is considered relevant to several administrative areas:
- Rajeev Singh Thakur: His experience as a district collector in multiple Rajasthan districts is seen as valuable for district-level administration and coordination.
- Rajat Kumar Mishra: His previous experience in the state Finance Department and Budget-related work could be useful for financial planning and monitoring expenditure.
- Roli Singh: Her experience in personnel administration and public recruitment could support service-related reforms and recruitment processes.
- Naresh Pal Gangwar: His experience in district administration and the Energy Department could be relevant to infrastructure and power-sector priorities.
The state has been seeking to bring experienced officers back into its administrative structure as it manages a range of departmental responsibilities.
Rajasthan Faces Shortage of IAS Officers
Rajasthan has an authorised IAS cadre strength of 332 officers, following the 2024 cadre review. However, the number of officers available for regular state postings is lower.
According to a report published in June 2026 highlighted the gap between the sanctioned strength and actual availability. It stated that 279 officers were shown as serving in the cadre, while only 241 were available for postings within the state at the time of the report.
The difference was attributed to central and inter-state deputations, study leave and other administrative arrangements.
The shortage has placed additional pressure on the officers working in Rajasthan, particularly those occupying senior positions in the state Secretariat.
39 IAS Officers Handling Multiple Responsibilities
The administrative workload is also reflected in the number of officers holding additional charges.
According to the latest report, 39 senior IAS officers, including the Chief Secretary, are handling responsibilities for multiple departments or institutions.
The accompanying list of officers and their assignments illustrates how several key administrative and institutional responsibilities are concentrated among a relatively small group of senior officials.
Some examples include:
- V. Srinivas: Chairperson, Rajasthan State Mines and Minerals Limited; Chairperson, Rajasthan River Basin and Water Resources Planning Board; and Chief President Commissioner, New Delhi.
- Abhay Kumar: Commissioner, Rajasthan River Basin and Water Resources Planning Authority; Chairperson, Indira Gandhi Canal Board; and Additional Chief Secretary of the Agriculture, Command Area Development and Indira Gandhi Canal departments.
- Aparna Arora: Chairperson, Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board.
- Sandeep Verma: Chairperson, Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation.
- Kuldeep Ranka: Chairperson, Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
- Bhaskar A. Sawant: Additional Chief Secretary, Justice and Sainik Kalyan (Ex-Servicemen Welfare) Department.
- Vaibhav Galeria: Chairman and Managing Director, Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation.
- Bhawani Singh Detha: Chairperson, Rajasthan State Bus Terminal Development Authority.
- Krishna Kunal: Chairperson, Non-Agricultural Land Development Agency.
- Aarti Dogra: Chairperson, Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT Services Limited.
- Rohit Gupta: Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department.
- Kumarpal Gautam: Director General, Revenue Intelligence and Economic Offences.
The distribution of these responsibilities highlights the range of departments and public institutions being managed by senior officers.
19 Rajasthan IAS Officers Reportedly Serving Outside the State
19 Rajasthan cadre IAS officers serving outside the state in central government departments, institutions and other assignments.
The names listed include:
- Sudhansh Pant
- Rajat Kumar Mishra
- Naresh Pal Gangwar
- Roli Singh
- Mugdha Sinha
- Debashish Pushti
- Krishnakant Pathak
- Ashutosh A. T. Pednekar
- Pritam B. Yashwant
- Bhanu Prakash Eturu
- Bishnu Charan Mallik
- Muktanand Agrawal
- Prakash Rajpurohit
- Inderjeet Singh
- Neha Giri
- Abhimanyu Kumar
- Bhagwati Prasad Kalal
- Ashish Gupta
- Anshdeep
The list reflects the presence of Rajasthan cadre officers in central ministries and other government institutions.
How Are IAS Officers Recalled from Central Deputation?
IAS officers are members of the All India Services and may serve in state cadres as well as on deputation to the Union government.
Central deputation involves the placement of officers in ministries, departments and other organisations of the Government of India. The process is governed by applicable service rules and deputation arrangements, with the Centre and the state cadre authorities involved in the process.
When a state government seeks the early return of an officer, the request has to be considered by the competent authorities. However, a state government’s request does not automatically result in the officer’s repatriation.
The issue of deputation and the availability of officers has periodically led to differences between state governments and the Centre, particularly when states seek the return of experienced officers before the completion of their deputation tenure.
For Rajasthan, the reported decision not to release the four officers leaves the state to manage its administrative requirements with the officers currently available in the cadre.
