Central Government Announces Major Bureaucratic Reshuffle Ahead of Lok Sabha Elections

Among those appointed were Siddharth Mahajan, a 2003 batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, as Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce; Abhijit Sinha, a 2000 batch IAS officer of the Nagaland cadre, as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs; Mihir Kumar, Indian Defence Accounts Service officer of 1996 batch, as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs. Saurabh Jain, a 2002 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare.

Another change in the home ministry was the appointment of Parthasarathi Gurrala, CSS cadre officer, as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, till his retirement in 2028.

In the crucial home ministry, four joint secretaries were appointed, including three IAS officers and one experienced CSS officer.

Among others who were appointed in last night’s orders were Ravi Shanakar, a 2007 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, as Joint Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution replacing Palka Sahni, lAS of the Bihar cadre.

Moreover, Gulzar N, a 1999 batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution; Pushpendra Rajput, a 1999 batch IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh, was named as a Joint Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare; Swati Meena Naik, a 2007 batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh, has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

Also brought into key positions in the reshuffle were Deepankar Aron, IRS, as Joint Secretary, Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Harish Kumar Vashisth, IRS, as Joint DG, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Anand Madhukar, IRPS (1997), as Additional Director General, Archaeological Survey of India and Manoj Kumar Jain, IRAS, as ED (Engg/IT), FCI.

In all 22 officers were affected by the reshuffle.