New Delhi: The Centre has appointed Dr. Varnali Deka, a 2009-batch IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, as Joint Secretary to the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Her tenure will extend until August 28, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) as part of a major bureaucratic reshuffle involving 27 officers at Joint Secretary or equivalent level across central government ministries, departments and institutions. The orders were issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on October 10.
Deka had been serving as Director in the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs on central deputation since 2025. Before moving to the Centre, she held several senior positions in the Assam administration, including Commissioner and Secretary of the General Administration Department.
During her career, she has served as Deputy Commissioner in five Assam districts—Barpeta, Golaghat, Goalpara, Kokrajhar and Nalbari. Her other assignments have included responsibilities in health, urban development, skill development and rural livelihoods.
Her appointment follows her empanelment for Joint Secretary-level positions in the Union government in August 2026. She was reported to be the first woman IAS officer from Assam to be empanelled for a Joint Secretary-level post at the Centre.
About Her
Dr. Varnali Deka is a 2009-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, who made history in 2026 as the first woman IAS officer from Assam empanelled as a Joint Secretary in the Government of India. Prior to entering public service, she built a strong academic foundation with a B.Tech, an MBA from IIT Bombay, an LLB, and a PhD in Commerce focused on entrepreneurial development in Northeast India, alongside corporate experience as a software engineer and business analyst.
Her civil services journey began when she became the first Assamese woman to qualify for the Indian Police Service (IPS) with an All India Rank of 82, before re-appearing for the exam to secure an All India Rank of 16 to join the IAS.
Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Deka has served as Deputy Commissioner across five districts in Assam – Barpeta, Golaghat, Goalpara, Kokrajhar, and Nalbari – and has held major administrative roles including Managing Director of the Assam Skill Development Mission and Director in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Her innovative governance and community-driven initiatives have earned her prestigious accolades, including the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration and National Water Awards.
Other Appointments in the Bureaucratic Reshuffle
The reshuffle covers several important portfolios, including health and family welfare, home affairs, corporate affairs, culture, commerce, infrastructure, education and social justice. The following is the list of the 27 officers and their new assignments, along with their service, batch and cadre where available in the published appointment details.
- Brijesh Panday — (IAS: 2004: Tripura); appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Capital Development.
- Nikhil Varma — Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), 2005 batch; appointed Additional Director General of Foreign Trade in Delhi.
- Tanvi Sundriyal — (IAS: 2010: MP); appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
- Inderjeet Singh — (IAS: 2010: RJ); appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Culture.
- Prakash Rajpurohit — (IAS: 2010: RJ); appointed Deputy Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India.
- Tamboli Ayyaj Fakirbhai —(IAS: 2009: CG); appointed Executive Director at the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), at Joint Secretary level.
- Rajesh Malik — Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), 1994 batch; appointed Executive Director at the Food Corporation of India.
Health and Family Welfare
- Mohammed Y Safirulla K — (IAS: 2010: KL); appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Health and Family Welfare.
- Ritu Sharma — Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), 2005 batch; appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Health and Family Welfare.
- Dr Varnali Deka — (IAS: 2009: Assam-Meghalaya); appointed Joint Secretary to the National Health Authority.
- More Ashish Madhaorao — (IAS: 2006: AGMUT); appointed Additional Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Authority at Joint Secretary level.
National Testing Agency and Ministry of Home Affairs
- Vivek Khare — Indian Telecom Service, 1996 batch; appointed Joint Secretary in the National Testing Agency.
- Ravi Shanakar — (IAS: 2007: GJ); appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Chittaranjan Dash — Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), 1998 batch; appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- P Manoj Kumar — Indian Statistical Service, 1998 batch; appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Abhishek Bhagotia — (IAS: 2007: Assam-Meghalaya); appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Legal Affairs, Minority Affairs and NITI Aayog
- Navin Agarwal — Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS), 1997 batch; appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Legal Affairs.
- M Ramachandrudu — (IAS: 2009: BH); appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
- Sonia Pant — Indian Economic Service, 2001 batch; appointed Adviser at Joint Secretary level in NITI Aayog.
- Nitin Kumar — Central Secretariat Service (CSS); appointed Additional Secretary at Joint Secretary level in the Central Vigilance Commission. The published appointment list does not specify his batch or cadre.
Road Transport, Highways and Social Justice
- C Murugan — (IAS: 2007: WB); appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
- Rajneesh Kumar Tomar — Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), 1998 batch; appointed Chief Executive Officer of National Highways Logistics Management Limited.
- Nishtha Tiwari — Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), 2005 batch; appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities.
Urban Development, Water Resources and Women’s Affairs
- Manisha Trighatia — (IAS: 2002: UP); appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Urban Development.
- Avinash Jain — Indian Railway Service of Engineers (Civil), 2001 batch; appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
- Pawan Kumar — Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Taxes), 2005 batch; appointed Joint Secretary in the National River Conservation Directorate.
- Anita Shah Akella — Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS), 1996 batch; appointed Joint Secretary in the National Commission for Women.
- The appointments carry pay at Level 14 of the Central Government’s Pay Matrix, with individual tenures varying according to the respective orders.
Deka’s Appointment Brings Assam-Meghalaya Cadre Representation to the NHA
Deka’s posting places an experienced Assam-Meghalaya cadre officer in a senior administrative position at the National Health Authority, the central institution associated with the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and other national health initiatives.
Her career has included both district-level administration and senior policy responsibilities in Assam, followed by central deputation in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The new assignment adds a national health administration role to her experience across multiple governance sectors.
Read Also: Who Is Dr Varnali Deka? Assam’s First Woman IAS Officer Empanelled for Joint Secretary Post
