In a major administrative reshuffle, the Union Home Ministry has appointed H. Rajesh Prasad (IAS: 1995) as the new Chief Secretary of Chandigarh. A senior IAS officer from the AGMUT cadre, Prasad takes over from Mandip Singh Brar, who briefly held the charge after Rajeev Verma’s transfer to the Government of NCT Delhi.
This appointment underscores the Centre’s cadre management policies within the AGMUT cadre, which spans Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Delhi, and Union Territories. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued the order on September 30, 2025, just two days after Verma assumed the role of Delhi’s Chief Secretary.
A 1995-batch IAS officer, Prasad has been serving as Principal Secretary, Power Development Department (PDD), Jammu & Kashmir, since September 2022. Known for his reform-driven administrative style, he has played a crucial role in driving power sector improvements in the Union Territory.
Born on June 1, 1967, in Karnataka, Prasad holds degrees in Commerce, Law, and dual MBAs in Finance (IGNOU) and Public Management (Pondicherry University). He is also an alumnus of IIM Bangalore and Pondicherry University.
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Key Administrative Roles
- District Collector, South Delhi and Arunachal Pradesh
- Commissioner, Trade & Taxes and Urban Development, Delhi
- Principal Secretary, Education and Urban Development, Delhi
- Principal Secretary, Power Development Department, J&K
- Additional Charge, Agriculture Production Department, J&K (till Aug 2024)
Reforms in J&K’s Power Sector
Prasad spearheaded multiple initiatives to strengthen J&K’s power sector, including strict curtailment schedules, feeder audits, and smart metering. His leadership helped reduce peak power deficit from 22% to 12% between FY21 and FY24. He also focused on financial governance, loss reduction, and tackling power theft, while leading winter preparedness measures to minimise outages in Kashmir.
With his appointment, Chandigarh is set to benefit from his administrative experience and proven track record of reforms.
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