Major Secretary-Level Reshuffle At Centre: ACC Approves Six Key IAS Appointments

Pallavi Jain Govil moves to Corporate Affairs, Deepti Gaur Mukerjee gets Higher Education; Sunil Paliwal appointed Youth Affairs Secretary

Aug 11, 2026 · 3 min read

Archana Varma, Deepti Gaur Mukerjee and senior IAS officers in major secretary-level reshuffle

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved a significant reshuffle at the Secretary level across several key ministries of the Government of India.

The ACC, through an order dated August 10, 2026, has partially modified its earlier order of July 23, 2026, and approved six important appointments involving senior IAS officers.

Pallavi Jain Govil appointed Corporate Affairs Secretary

Pallavi Jain Govil, 1994-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, who is currently Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

She will replace Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, following her appointment as Secretary, Department of Higher Education.

Deepti Gaur Mukerjee gets Higher Education

Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, 1993-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, currently Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, has been appointed Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.

She will take over from Vineet Joshi, following his appointment as Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

Sushil Kumar Lohani appointed IWAI Chairman

Sushil Kumar Lohani, 1995-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, currently Officer on Special Duty in the Cabinet Secretariat, has been appointed Chairman, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

The post has been temporarily upgraded to Secretary level for the appointment. Lohani will replace Sunil Paliwal, who has been appointed Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs.

V.L. Kantha Rao to move to Official Language Department

V.L. Kantha Rao, 1992-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, currently Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, has been appointed Officer on Special Duty, Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs, in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.

He will take over as Secretary, Department of Official Language, after Anshuli Arya superannuates on September 30, 2026.

Archana Varma appointed Water Resources Secretary

Archana Varma, 1995-batch IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, currently Mission Director, National Water Mission, has been appointed Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.

She will succeed V.L. Kantha Rao.

Sunil Paliwal appointed Youth Affairs Secretary

Sunil Paliwal, 1993-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, currently Chairman, Inland Waterways Authority of India, has been appointed Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

He will succeed Pallavi Jain Govil, who is moving to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

Six key ministries see top-level administrative changes

The ACC’s latest decision brings changes at the top administrative level in Corporate Affairs, Higher Education, Youth Affairs, Water Resources, Official Language and Inland Waterways.

The reshuffle marks a significant realignment of senior bureaucratic leadership across several strategically important departments of the Central Government.