A 2005 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Pandey is currently serving as Additional Principal Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) in Gujarat. Indications are Pandey may not express willingness to go on Central deputation. 

When asked about the empanelment, Pandey told The Secretariat, “From time to time, the Ministry of Personnel and Training empanels officers of various batches. Similarly, I have also been empanelled. However, this does not mean that I have to go on deputation to Delhi. As per the rules, I can go, but the decision depends on the Central or the state government. At present, I am serving in the CMO.”

In his present post, he is responsible for several important departments.

When changes were made in the CMO in May 2025, Avantika Singh was promoted as Additional Principal Secretary, and the government appointed Pandey as the Secretary to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. 

Later, during a major bureaucratic reshuffle in December 2025, when Singh was transferred and appointed as the Managing Director of the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), the vacant post was filled by promoting Pandey as the Additional Principal Secretary.

In November 2019, he served as Director in the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. In December 2024, he served as Resident Commissioner of Gujarat in New Delhi. He still holds the additional charge of Resident Commissioner.

Pandey hails from Rajasthan. He first completed his MBBS and later cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams to join IAS.

Central Deputation

According to information received from IAS circles, when officers of a particular batch are empanelled at the Centre, they become eligible if they express willingness to go on deputation to Delhi. 

Apart from this, if the Central government requests the State government, the officer concerned may be sent on deputation. Moreover, depending on the state government’s preference, the decision regarding deputation may remain pending.

Pandey is handling important departments in the CMO such as Industries, Health, Information and Broadcasting, Revenue, and Roads & Buildings. He has also served as Collector in districts such as Rajkot, Bharuch, Valsad, and Ahmedabad. 

He was honoured with the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration. After returning to the state administrative structure after six years, he received a direct posting in the CMO.

In the Gujarat bureaucracy, apart from the CMO, the Finance, Home, Revenue, Industries, Energy, Urban Development, and General Administration Departments are considered prime postings. Senior IAS officers are usually appointed in these departments. Pandey has currently secured the third position in the state bureaucracy.