NEW DELHI (May 9, 2026): In a significant administrative overhaul, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of 21 officers to Joint Secretary or equivalent level positions within various ministries and departments. The appointments, announced today by the Department of Personnel and Training, carry a pay level of 14 of the Pay Matrix.
The reshuffle includes high-ranking officials from diverse services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Forest Service (IFoS), and Indian Revenue Service (IRS), among others.
Key Appointments and Postings
The following officers have been assigned to critical roles across the central government:
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Ms. Deepa Chawla, IRAS (1998): Joint Secretary, O/o Secretary (Security), Cabinet Secretariat.
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Shri Gopal Singh, IFoS (BH:2003): Joint Secretary, Ministry of Coal.
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Shri Amit Kumar, IAS (JH:2010): Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce.
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Shri Shiv Pal Singh, IFoS (UP:1997): Joint Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation.
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Ms. Neha Bansal, IAS (UT:2010): Additional Director General (ADG), National Archives of India.
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Shri Vijay Namdeorao Zade, IAS (PB:2002): Joint Secretary, Department of Defence Production.
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Shri Prakash Rajpurohit, IAS (RJ:2010): Joint Secretary, Department of Defence Production.
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Shri D Senthil Pandiyan, IAS (UD:2002): Joint Secretary, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation.
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Shri Sreenivasa Rao Gangi Reddy, IRPS (2004): Joint Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences.
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Ms. Surabhi Rai, IFoS (UT:2005): Joint Secretary, Department of Fisheries.
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Ms. Manisha Saxena, IRS (C&IT) (2000): Joint Secretary, Department of Health Research.
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Shri Vivek Kumar Daksh, IPoS (2002): Senior Deputy Director General (Admn.), ICMR.
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Shri M Ramachandrudu, IAS (BH:2009): Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs.
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Shri P Praveen Siddharth, IRS (IT) (2001): Member (Finance), Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
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Shri Ajay Kumar Nema, ITS (1994): Joint Secretary, Department of Justice.
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Shri J Saravanan, IRS (IT) (2005): Financial Adviser, KVIC, Mumbai.
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Shri Amit Agarwal, IRSE (Civil) (2002): Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
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Ms. Palka Sahni, IAS (BH:2004): Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
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Ms. Jayasree M G, ISS (1998): Joint Secretary, Department of Rural Development.
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Shri S Sasikumar, IFoS (WB:2002): Joint Secretary, Department of Rural Development.
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Shri Sandeep Rewaji Rathod, IAS (TR:2009): Joint Secretary, Department of Social Justice & Empowerment.
Administrative Procedures
The official order, signed by Ms. Manisha Saxena, Secretary to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet and Establishment Officer, specifies that these appointments are effective from the date of assumption of charge. Tenures range generally from five to seven years, or until further notice.
Copies of the directive have been forwarded to the President’s Secretariat, the Vice President’s Secretariat, the Prime Minister’s Office, and various other key legislative and ministerial bodies to ensure immediate implementation.
