MHA appoints Gyanesh Bharti as Chief Secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
New Delhi, August 11
The Ministry of Home Affairs has appointed senior IAS officer Gyanesh Bharti as the Chief Secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an official release said on Sunday.
According to orders issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bharti was repatriated to his parent AGMUT cadre from central deputation.
This decision came after the ACC approved his repatriation back to his cadre less than a year after he was appointed Deputy Election Commissioner on August 25, 2025. His tenure in the Election Commission was originally scheduled to run until June 18, 2028.
As per an order issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), Bharti was repatriated on the request of the Ministry of Home Affairs and was placed under an extended 'cooling off' period.
"Consequent upon his repatriation from Central deputation, Gyanesh Bharti (AGMUT:1998), appointed as Chief Secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with effect from the date of assumption of charge and until further orders. This issues with the approval of the Competent Authority," said the MHA order.
In a separate incident, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on August 5 announced the appointment of senior IAS officer Manoj Kumar Dwivedi as the Chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on wednesday.
According to an official communication issued by the MHA dated August 5, 2026, the appointment was made with the approval of the Competent Authority.
The official notification, signed by Praveen Kumar Rai, Joint Secretary to the Government of India, stated: "In exercise of the powers conferred by Clause (a) of sub-section (1) of Section (4), read with sub-sections (1) and (2) of Section 13 of the New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994 (44 of 1994), the Central Government hereby appoints Shri Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, IAS (AGMUT:1997) to be the Chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council."
— ANI
Reader Comments
The Andaman islands deserve good governance and infrastructure development. Having a senior officer from the AGMUT cadre should help streamline things there. Also, congrats to Manoj Kumar Dwivedi for the NDMC role. Both appointments seem like routine administrative reshuffles, hope they serve well.
As someone interested in Indian bureaucracy, these frequent transfers and deputation changes seem a bit chaotic. The Election Commission post was supposed to run until 2028, why cut it short? I hope there's a clear policy behind these decisions and not just ad-hoc moves.
Andaman and Nicobar is often neglected in terms of development. I hope Gyanesh Bharti brings fresh energy and focus to the region, especially in tourism and local infrastructure. 🙏 Good luck to him!
Why does the bureaucracy keep transferring officers so frequently? Just last year he was appointed Deputy EC, now he's off to the islands. The 'cooling off' period makes me wonder what really happened behind the scenes. The public deserves more clarity on such key appointments.
Good move! An experienced officer like him can do a lot for the islands. The tourists visiting Andaman will also benefit if the administration gets more efficient. Also, NDMC getting a new chairperson is another interesting change. Let's see how these appointments shape governance.
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