In an order issued late Saturday (February 1, 2025) night, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) issued the list of officers saying, the Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the appointments of “officers at Joint Secretary/Joint Secretary equivalent level with pay at Level 14 of the Pay Matrix”.  

As per the order 2002 batch Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer Petal Dhillon has been appointed as Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce for a tenure of five years or until further orders from the date of assumption of the charge of the post. She will replace Anant Swarup, a 1992-batch Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) officer.

The DoPT in the order said, 2004-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Abhinav Gupta has been appointed as Additional Director General (ADG) in the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the Department of Commerce, from the date of assumption of the charge of the post, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace SC Agarwal, a 1994-batch IRS officer.

Santosh Kumar Verma, a 1995-batch Indian Railway Store Service (IRSS) officer, has been assigned the post of Joint Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs for a period of five years from the date of assumption of charge. He replaces Vineet Mathur, 1994-batch Indian Postal Service (IPoS) officer. Verma’s appointment has been made following temporary upgradation of a vacant post of Director in the Department initially for a period of two years.

A 2004-batch IRS officer Samar Nanda has been given charge of the post of Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Culture for a tenure of five years from the date of assumption of the charge. He will replace 199-batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre Mugdha Sinha.

In another appointment 2000-batch IAS officer of Sikkim cadre D Anandan has been posted as Joint Secretary in the Department of Expenditure under the Ministry of Finance for a tenure of five years from the date of assumption of the charge of the post. He replaces Amit Singh Negi, Uttarakhand cadre IAS officer of 1999-batch.

Madhu Rani Teotia, a Uttarakhand cadre IAS officer of 2008-batch, has been appointed as Additional Chief Executive Officer (JS level) in the National Health Authority (NHA), under the Department of Health & Family Welfare, for a for a combined tenure of 7 years up to October 4, 2027 from the date of assumption of the charge of the post.

Vijay Nehra, a 2001-batch Gujarat cadre lAS officer, has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare for an overall tenure of five years up to October 30, 2028 from the date of assumption of the charge of the post. He will replace P Ashok Babu, an Assam-Meghalaya cadre IAS officer of 2003-batch.

In similar appointments 1999-batch Indian Audit & Accounts Service officer Praveer Kumar has been appointed JS in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, for a tenure of five years from the date of assumption of the charge of the post, as he replaces Deepak Agarwal, lAS (UP:2000).

Ajay Nagabhushan Mn, IAS (KN:2004) has been appointed as JS in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for a period of five years from the date of assumption of the charge of the post, which has temporarily been upgraded.   

Sanjay Chilwarwar, IRSSE (1997), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, the Ministry of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for a period up to August 31,2029, as he replaces Lalit Bohra, IRTS (1998).

Udit Agrawal, IAS (GJ:2008) has been appointed as Joint Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie, under the DoPT, for a tenure of five years from the date of assumption of the charge of the post. He will replace Radhika Rastogi, IAS (MH:1995).

Pankaj Kumar, ITS (1991) is appointed as Joint Secretary (Logistics) in the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT) for a tenure up to October 31, 2028 from the date of assumption of the charge of the post, as he replaces V Radha, IAS (MH:1994).

Vikas Anand, IAS (UT:2002) has been made the CEO (JS level), National Land Monetization Corporation (NLMC) under the Department of Public Enterprises for an overall tenure of five years (February 16, 2028) from the date of assumption of the charge.

Rajesh Lakhani, IAS (TN:1992) has been appointed as the Commissioner (JS level), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) under the Department of School Education & Literacy for a tenure up to May 31, 2029 from the date of assumption of charge, as he replaces Vinayak Garg IRSEE (1995).

Shankari Murali, lCAS (1991), has been appointed Joint Secretary & Financial Advisor (FA), in the Department of Space for a tenure up to her date of superannuation on February 28,2027 from the date of assumption of the charge. She is to replace M Maheshwar Rao, IAS (KN:1995) by temporarily downgrading the vacant post of AS&FA.

Manish Thakur, IAS (AM:1998) has been appointed as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for a tenure of five years from the date of assumption of the charge of the post, for a tenure of five years, as he replaces R Jaya, IAS (TN:1995).