Four Officers Get Key Central Government Postings Under CSS

DoPT appoints officers from IAS, IOFS, IRTS and IDAS cadres to senior positions in Higher Education, Cooperation and Steel ministries; two officers posted as Directors in the Ministry of Cooperation

Oct 16, 2026 · 3 min read

Central Staffing, DoPT Appointments, Director Posts, Deputy Secretary, Ministry Cooperation

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has issued appointment orders for four officers under the Central Staffing Scheme (CSS), assigning them key responsibilities in three central ministries. The appointments include one Deputy Secretary-level posting in the Ministry of Higher Education and three Director-level postings in the Ministries of Cooperation and Steel.

According to the orders dated October 15, 2026, Dilip Lalchand Parmar, IOFS (2014), has been appointed Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Higher Education for four years. Thiyagarajan S. M., IAS (Bihar: 2011), has been appointed Director in the Ministry of Cooperation for five years, while Praveen Kumar Tiwari, IRTS (2011), has also been appointed Director in the same ministry. Saurabh, IDAS (2012), has been appointed Director in the Ministry of Steel for five years.

Ministry of Cooperation Gets Two Directors

The appointment of two officers as Directors in the Ministry of Cooperation is a notable feature of the latest orders. Thiyagarajan S. M., a 2011-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, has been selected for a five-year tenure from the date of assumption of charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Praveen Kumar Tiwari, a 2011-batch Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer, has also been appointed Director in the Ministry of Cooperation. His order specifies a combined deputation tenure of five years, up to January 29, 2029, covering his ex-cadre and Central Staffing Scheme deputation periods.

The appointments bring officers from different services into the same ministry at the Director level, reflecting the Centre’s use of officers with diverse administrative and professional backgrounds for ministerial assignments.

Higher Education and Steel Ministries Receive New Officers

Dilip Lalchand Parmar, a 2014-batch Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS) officer, has been selected as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Higher Education for four years. His appointment follows a recommendation from the Department of Defence Production.

Saurabh, a 2012-batch Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) officer, has been appointed Director in the Ministry of Steel for five years following a recommendation from the Department of Defence.

The appointments place officers from different services in roles involving policy coordination, administrative oversight and implementation of ministerial priorities.

Three-Week Joining Deadline

The DoPT orders reiterate the requirement under the Central Staffing Scheme that officers must join their new assignments within three weeks from the date of issue of the appointment order. Failure to join within the prescribed period may lead to the initiation of debarment proceedings under the scheme.

The officers have been directed to be relieved of their existing duties immediately to enable them to assume their new responsibilities.

What the Appointments Indicate

The latest appointments underline the Centre’s continuing process of deploying officers from different services to strengthen administrative capacity across ministries. Director and Deputy Secretary-level officers play an important role in policy formulation, inter-ministerial coordination and implementation of government programmes.