In a major bureaucratic reshuffle aimed at streamlining governance and bolstering administrative efficiency, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment and reassignment of 18 senior officers to Secretary and equivalent-level positions across various ministries and departments.
Meeta R. Lochan has been appointed as Secretary of the National Commission for Backward Classes, replacing A. Neeraja, who is due to retire on May 31, 2025. K. Moses Chalai has been given the charge of Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises, under the Ministry of Finance. Manoj Govil will now serve as Secretary (Coordination) in the Cabinet Secretariat, succeeding Vandana Gurnani, who has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment. In another key posting, Rajit Punhani has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, replacing Atul Kumar Tiwari.
Ashish Srivastava has been promoted as Secretary in the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Vumlunmang Vualnam has been appointed Secretary, Department of Expenditure in the Ministry of Finance, while Nikunja Bihari Dhal will serve as Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. Pallavi Jain Govil has been named Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, and Nidhi Chhibber has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
Further strengthening the finance and culture portfolios, Arvind Shrivastava has been made Secretary, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, while Vivek Aggarwal has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Culture. Santosh Kumar Sarangi has been named Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, reflecting the government’s focus on sustainable development. Rajesh Agarwal will now lead as Secretary, Department of Commerce, replacing Sunil Barthwal.
Anuradha Thakur has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Department of Economic Affairs and is set to take over from Ajay Seth. Rakesh Kumar Verma has been appointed Director General of the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management. In the field of sports, Hari Ranjan Rao has been named Secretary, Department of Sports, succeeding Sujata Chaturvedi.
Additionally, Rajesh Kumar Sinha and Ranjana Chopra have been elevated to the rank of Special Secretary. This sweeping administrative overhaul is expected to inject new energy into the top echelons of the civil services and enhance the delivery of public services across a broad spectrum of policy areas.
