13 secretaries appointed as ACC clears major bureaucratic reshuffle
New Delhi, July 23
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on Thursday approved a sweeping bureaucratic reshuffle, appointing 13 senior IAS and IDAS officers as Secretaries to the Government of India and upgrading four others to the rank of Secretary.
According to the Department of Personnel and Training order, Shri Katikithala Srinivas, IAS (GJ:89), currently Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.
Shri Vineet Joshi, IAS (MN:92), Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, will take charge as Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, succeeding Shri Vivek Bhardwaj, IAS (WB:90), who retires on 31 July. Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar, IAS (RJ:94), Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, has been shifted as Secretary, Department of Higher Education, while Shri T.K. Anil Kumar, IAS (KN:95), Additional Secretary, Department of Rural Development, has been appointed Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy.
Shri Piyush Goyal, IAS (NL:94), Secretary, Ministry of Mines, has been appointed Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). His post will be filled by Shri Keshav Chandra, IAS (AGMUT:95).
Other key appointments include Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani, IAS (OR:95), as Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, who will later take over as Secretary; Ms. Archana Varma, IAS (AM:95), Mission Director, National Water Mission, upgraded to Secretary rank and designated to head the Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs, after Ms. Ansuli Arya's superannuation on 30 September; Ms. D. Thara, IAS (GJ:95), as Secretary, Department of Capital Development, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs; Shri B. Rajender, IAS (BH:95), as Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration; Shri Chandra Bhushan Kumar, IAS (AGMUT:95), as Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment; Shri Satendra Singh, IAS (JH:95), as Secretary, Department of Urban Development; and Shri Suchindra Misra, IDAS:92, as Secretary, National Commission for Minorities.
In addition, the ACC approved in‑situ upgradation of four officers to Secretary rank: Shri Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, IAS (UP:95), Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner; Shri Santosh Kumar Yadav, IAS (UP:95), Chairman, National Highways Authority of India; Shri Rajeev Singh Thakur, IAS (RJ:95), Adviser, NITI Aayog; and Shri Dilip Kumar, IAS (PB:95), Director General (Training), Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
The reshuffle, described as one of the most extensive in recent months, comes ahead of several senior officers' superannuation at the end of July and is aimed at ensuring continuity in key ministries and commissions.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting that Vineet Joshi is moving to Panchayati Raj from Higher Education - maybe he's being sent to fix the grassroots education link? Panchayati Raj is crucial for rural development, hope he takes some good ideas from the education sector there.
Four officers upgraded in-situ to Secretary rank - that's a good move. NHAI's Santosh Yadav and NITI Aayog's Rajeev Thakur deserve it, they've been doing solid work. But why is the Minorities Commission getting a Secretary when it barely functions? 😐 Suchindra Misra's appointment there seems like a punishment posting.
I work in the private sector and I'm just amazed at how these government reshuffles work - 13 Secretaries moved in one go! In corporate, you'd have a proper succession plan. This seems like last-minute juggling before retirements. But well, that's how the babu system has always worked since British times. Hope the North East gets some real attention with Katikithala Srinivas taking over there.
Every time there's a reshuffle, I check which ministry gets a woman Secretary. Ms. Archana Varma moving to Official Language and Ms. D. Thara to Capital Development - it's good to see women in these roles but still far too few at the top level in bureaucracy. We need more than just one or two.
Having worked with Indian bureaucracy before, these reshuffles usually create at least 3-6 months of "settling in" period where nothing much gets done. The fact that this is "extensive" right before July superannuations means some ministries will have lame-duck
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