New Delhi, July 23, 2026
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) 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.(Agency)
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