Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, reshuffled the responsibilities of senior IAS officers, appointing 1991-batch IAS officer Babu Lal Meena as the new Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Board of Revenue.
Meena succeeds 1990-batch IAS officer Archana Agarwal, who retired on Wednesday. Agarwal had been serving as Chairperson of the Board of Revenue since June 1, 2026, while also holding the additional responsibility of Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) since October 24, 2025.
With Agarwal’s retirement, the government has also assigned the additional charge of UPSRTC Chairperson to 1995-batch IAS officer Amrit Abhijat.
B.L. Meena Takes Charge of Revenue Board
Babu Lal Meena, a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, was serving as Additional Chief Secretary, Horticulture & Sericulture Department, along with responsibility for the Food Processing Department.
Under the latest order, he has been given the charge of Chairperson, Board of Revenue. He will continue to hold his existing departmental responsibilities on an additional-charge basis.
The appointment brings a senior officer with extensive field and secretariat experience to the state’s apex revenue institution. The Board of Revenue handles important matters relating to land and revenue administration in Uttar Pradesh.
Who Is IAS Babu Lal Meena?
Babu Lal Meena entered the Indian Administrative Service as a direct recruit on September 15, 1991, through the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
Born on April 15, 1968, he is from Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. He holds a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering, an M.A. in Public Policy and Management and a law certificate from the Indian Law Institute.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, Meena has handled a wide range of administrative assignments in Uttar Pradesh as well as on central deputation.
His experience includes district administration, state secretariat responsibilities, public-sector leadership and policy work at the Government of India level.
Experience Across District Administration
Meena has served as District Magistrate and Collector in several districts, including Ghaziabad, Barabanki, Etawah, Gonda, Siddharth Nagar, Baghpat and Rudraprayag.
These assignments gave him extensive experience in district-level administration, revenue matters, development programmes and coordination among different arms of the state government.
He later moved into senior secretariat positions, where he handled a diverse range of departments.
Experience Across Key UP Departments
During his career in the Uttar Pradesh government, Meena held senior positions involving departments such as Home, Cooperative Societies, Urban Development, Irrigation, Social Welfare, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries.
He has also headed state public-sector enterprises, including U.P. Agro and Purvanchal/Eastern Vidyut Vitran Nigam.
His varied assignments have taken him across administrative, development, infrastructure and public-sector responsibilities.
Central Deputation
Meena has also served the Government of India as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
The central deputation added another dimension to his administrative experience, exposing him to policymaking and implementation at the national level.
He now moves into the Chairperson’s position at the Board of Revenue while continuing his existing departmental responsibilities.
Amrit Abhijat Gets Additional Charge of UPSRTC
Following Archana Agarwal’s retirement, the government has entrusted the additional charge of Chairperson, Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, to Amrit Abhijat, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.
Abhijat is currently serving as Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism, Culture & Religious Affairs, and Transport. He will continue to hold these responsibilities along with the additional charge of UPSRTC Chairperson.
The arrangement means that the Transport Department and the state road transport corporation will continue to be overseen by the same senior officer at the administrative level.
Who Is IAS Amrit Abhijat?
Born on June 21, 1968, in Munger, Bihar, Amrit Abhijat is a senior IAS officer of the 1995 batch.
He studied History at Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, completing his B.A. and M.A., and later obtained an M.A. in Governance & Development from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom.
He has also completed postgraduate diplomas in Rural Development from IGNOU and Environmental Laws. He speaks Hindi, English and French.
Four Decades of Administrative Experience
Abhijat has handled numerous assignments in Uttar Pradesh, including serving as District Magistrate in Agra, Prayagraj, Kanpur Nagar and Jhansi.
He was also associated with land acquisition for the Lucknow-Agra Expressway, one of the state’s major infrastructure projects.
At the Centre, he served from 2015 to 2021 in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs as Joint Secretary and Mission Director. During this period, he was associated with the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban and also served as a nominee director on the HUDCO board.
His current responsibilities in tourism, culture, religious affairs and transport now expand to include the additional charge of UPSRTC Chairperson.
Archana Agarwal Retires
The reshuffle follows the retirement of Archana Agarwal, a 1990-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.
Agarwal had taken over as Chairperson of the Board of Revenue on June 1, 2026. She had also been serving as Chairperson of UPSRTC since October 24, 2025.
Her retirement has consequently resulted in changes at both institutions, with Meena taking charge of the Board of Revenue and Abhijat being entrusted with the additional charge of UPSRTC.
The Latest Arrangement
- Babu Lal Meena (IAS: 1991: UP) – Chairperson, Board of Revenue; continues ACS, Horticulture & Sericulture and Food Processing on additional charge.
- Amrit Abhijat (IAS: 1995: UP) – Additional charge, Chairperson, UPSRTC; continues ACS, Tourism, Culture & Religious Affairs and Transport.
- Archana Agarwal (IAS: 1990: UP) – Retired on September 30, 2026; was Chairperson, Board of Revenue and UPSRTC.
The latest changes bring two experienced senior officers into key positions involving revenue administration and public transport, following Agarwal’s retirement from state service.
