Chandigarh: The Haryana bureaucracy is witnessing speculation over a possible administrative reshuffle after the state government approached the Centre seeking the repatriation of four senior IAS officers currently serving on central deputation.
The officers are V. Umashankar (IAS: 1993: Haryana), Rakesh Gupta (IAS: 1997: Haryana), Nitin Yadav and Vikas Gupta. Among them, the possible return of Umashankar and Gupta has drawn particular attention, as the state is looking to fill key vacancies in its administration.
According to discussions in bureaucratic circles, Umashankar, currently Secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, may be considered for appointment as the next Chief Secretary of Haryana. Meanwhile, Rakesh Gupta, presently serving as Additional Secretary in the President’s Secretariat, may be posted as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister.
The Chief Secretary’s post is expected to fall vacant on December 31, 2026, when the tenure of incumbent Anurag Rastogi ends. The post of Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister has been vacant since September 30, following the retirement of Arun Kumar Gupta (IAS: 1992: Haryana).
Who Is IAS V. Umashankar?
V. Umashankar is a 1993-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Haryana cadre. Born on July 1, 1968, he hails from Maharashtra and has served in several important positions in both the Haryana government and the Centre.
He holds a B.Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. He also has a postgraduate qualification in Public Policy and Management from the Indian Institute of Management.
Umashankar joined the IAS in 1993 and has built a career spanning more than three decades, handling responsibilities related to infrastructure, power, information technology, urban administration and governance.
Currently Serving as Road Transport Secretary
Umashankar is currently serving as Secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India. He assumed charge of the position on November 1, 2024.
In this role, he is involved in the formulation and implementation of policies concerning road transport, national highways, infrastructure development and road safety.
Before moving to the Centre, he held several influential positions in the Haryana administration, including Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister.
Served as Principal Secretary to Two Haryana Chief Ministers
Umashankar has extensive experience working in the Haryana Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). He served as Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister from October 2018 to October 2020 before being appointed Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister in October 2020.
During his tenure, he worked with former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and subsequently with Nayab Singh Saini.
He continued in the influential position until 2024 and was associated with several major governance and administrative initiatives of the state government.
One of his prominent assignments involved overseeing the implementation of Haryana’s Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP), a family-based social registry system designed to facilitate the delivery of government benefits. He was also associated with the state’s public grievance redressal mechanism through the CM Window portal.
Other Important Assignments in Haryana
Apart from his responsibilities in the CMO, Umashankar has handled several key portfolios in the state government.
He served as Principal Secretary in departments including Power, Electronics and Information Technology, Information and Languages, and Citizen Resources Information. He also served as Chief Executive Officer of Gurgaon, gaining experience in urban administration.
At the Centre, his current assignment in the Road Transport and Highways Ministry has added to his experience in infrastructure and policy implementation.
Umashankar is scheduled to retire from service in June 2028.
Who Is IAS Rakesh Gupta?
Rakesh Gupta (IAS: 1997: Haryana) is another senior officer whose possible repatriation has attracted attention in the state. He has previously served extensively in the Haryana Chief Minister’s Office and handled several flagship programmes of the state government.
Gupta holds a B.Tech degree in Chemical Engineering from IIT Delhi and a PhD in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
During his career, he has worked in areas including healthcare, social welfare, digital governance and public administration.
According to the information available, Gupta is currently serving as Additional Secretary in the President’s Secretariat. His earlier central assignments also include work in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Rakesh Gupta’s Earlier Role in Haryana CMO
Gupta served as Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Haryana from October 2014 to October 2018, during Manohar Lal Khattar’s tenure as Chief Minister.
In that role, he was associated with several important administrative, social-sector and technology initiatives.
He played a key role in Haryana’s implementation of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, serving as the state’s nodal officer for the campaign. The initiative focused on improving the state’s sex ratio at birth and addressing gender-related concerns.
He was also associated with the Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associates Programme and other governance-related initiatives.
His experience in the CMO is one of the reasons his possible return is being discussed in connection with the vacant post of Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister.
Contributions to Healthcare and Governance
Gupta has also held several important positions in the health and education sectors.
During his tenure in Haryana, he served as Mission Director of the National Health Mission and as Deputy Commissioner in districts including Gurugram, Faridabad, Rohtak and Karnal.
He has been associated with healthcare interventions, digital governance initiatives and education-sector reforms. His assignments have included work on the Antyodaya SARAL portal, Saksham Haryana and efforts to improve the delivery of public services.
During his tenure as Secretary of the Haryana Board of School Education, he was also associated with measures to tackle examination malpractice and cheating.
Haryana Awaits Centre’s Decision on Repatriation
The Haryana government’s request to bring back four senior IAS officers from central deputation is being viewed against the backdrop of important vacancies in the state administration.
While V. Umashankar is being discussed as a possible successor to Anurag Rastogi as Chief Secretary, Rakesh Gupta may return to the Chief Minister’s Office as Principal Secretary.
However, these are possibilities being discussed in administrative circles. The Centre’s decision on the repatriation request and the subsequent posting orders will determine the officers’ next assignments.
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