Jaipur: Four senior IAS officers are set to retire on September 30, 2026, creating vacancies in several important administrative positions in Rajasthan. The retiring officers are Tanmay Kumar, Nalini Kathotia, Anil Kumar Agrawal and Hem Pushpa Sharma.
While Tanmay Kumar is currently serving as a Secretary at the Centre and his retirement is not expected to directly affect the Rajasthan state bureaucracy, the retirement of the other three officers will leave key state-level posts vacant.
Nalini Kathotia, Anil Kumar Agrawal to Retire From Divisional Commissioner Posts
Nalini Kathotia, a 2010-batch promoted IAS officer, is currently serving as Divisional Commissioner, Bharatpur. Her retirement will require the Department of Personnel (DoP) to appoint a replacement.
Similarly, Anil Kumar Agrawal, a 2011-batch promoted IAS officer, is serving as Divisional Commissioner, Kota and is also due to retire on September 30.
According to the prevailing system, officers from the 2012 and 2013 batches could be considered for the two divisional commissioner posts.
The Rajasthan government could also consider additional-charge arrangements, under which the existing district collectors could be given charge of the respective divisions.
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Additional Charge Option for Bharatpur and Kota
There is a possibility that Piyush Samariya, Collector of Kota, and Qummer Ul Zaman Choudhary, Collector of Bharatpur, could receive additional charge of their respective divisions.
Both officers belong to the 2014 batch and are junior to the outgoing divisional commissioners.
Administrative experts cited in the report have raised concerns about assigning the additional responsibility of divisional commissioner to relatively junior collectors, particularly given the importance of the posts.
The final decision will rest with the Department of Personnel.
Hem Pushpa Sharma to Retire as Director, State Insurance and Provident Fund
Hem Pushpa Sharma is set to retire from the post of Director, State Insurance and Provident Fund.
Ideally, the department would require a full-time director to take over the position. However, the government could also continue with an additional-charge arrangement.
If that approach is adopted, the charge could potentially be assigned to the senior-most officer within the department.
Director, Mines Post Also Set to Fall Vacant
Another significant vacancy is expected in the Mines Department, with MP Meena, currently serving as Director, Mines, scheduled to retire on September 30.
Meena was appointed to the post in 2025 and had been serving in the position for around six months. A previous report on his appointment noted that he was a senior technical officer of the Mines Department and was given the director’s responsibility for a six-month period.
With his retirement, the government will have to decide on a new arrangement for the important post.
IAS Officer Likely to Be Considered for Director, Mines
The Director, Mines post has previously been held by senior IAS officers, and an IAS officer could again be considered for the position.
Names that could be considered, according to the information provided, include:
- Sidharth Sihag
- Natmal Didel
- A K Poswal
- Mukul Sharma
- Gaurav Agrawal
These names represent possible considerations rather than confirmed appointments.
If the DoP opts for an additional-charge arrangement instead, officers based in Udaipur who could potentially be considered include Namit Mehta, P Ramesh, Khajan Singh and Pragya Kewal Ramani.
Multiple Key Posts May Require Fresh Appointments
The retirements scheduled for September 30 are expected to create vacancies across several important administrative positions.
The key posts requiring attention include:
- Divisional Commissioner, Bharatpur — currently held by Nalini Kathotia
- Divisional Commissioner, Kota — currently held by Anil Kumar Agrawal
- Director, State Insurance and Provident Fund — currently held by Hem Pushpa Sharma
- Director, Mines — currently held by MP Meena
The Department of Personnel will now have to decide whether to make regular appointments or rely on additional-charge arrangements for these positions.
The decisions will also be closely watched in the Rajasthan bureaucracy because they could determine the allocation of several important administrative responsibilities in the state.
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