Will Central Deputation Trigger Shortage Of Top IAS Officers In UP Ahead Of 2027 Polls?

Sanjay Prasad is among the senior IAS officers who have applied for Central deputation. However, with Assembly elections set to take place in 2027, sources say the State government may not give the NOC for his posting at the Centre. If Prasad goes on Central deputation, the CMO will have to search for a new trusted officer.

The government has empanelled six senior IAS officers of the Uttar Pradesh cadre for Secretary or equivalent posts at the Centre. They include Alok Kumar II, Leena Johri, Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan, Santosh Kumar Yadav, Bhuvnesh Kumar, and Sanjay Prasad. 

Mrityunjay Kumar, Santosh Kumar Yadav, and Bhuvnesh Kumar are already on Central deputation. The remaining officers require an NOC from the State government for Central deputation. Alok Kumar is currently heading the Industrial Development Department. 

The Six Empanelled IAS Officers

Sanjay Prasad is an IAS officer of the 1995 batch. He belongs to Sitamarhi district. He holds a postgraduate degree in Geography. He is considered one of the top officers in the Uttar Pradesh bureaucracy. He was associated with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from the days when the latter was a Member of Parliament (MP) from Gorakhpur (Prasad was then serving as the district collector). 

Alok Kumar, an IAS officer of the 1993 batch, hails from Begusarai. He has vast experience in policy-making, institutional reforms, and public health. He had served as an advisor in the erstwhile Planning Commission. He has also served as a faculty member at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration.

Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan is an IAS officer of the 1995 batch. He holds a B.Tech degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kanpur and an M.Tech in Electrical Engineering. He also holds an M.Sc. degree in Public Policy and Management from King's College London. Kumar Narayan has been on Central deputation since August 2019, and is currently posted as the Registrar General of the Population Census.

Santosh Kumar Yadav, another IAS officer of the 1995 batch, is serving at the Centre, holding the post of Chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Bhuvnesh Kumar, an IAS officer of the 1995 batch, has been on Central deputation.

Leena Johri, an IAS officer of the 1994 batch, is serving as the Additional Chief Secretary in the Department of Women and Child Development, Uttar Pradesh government.