Gandhinagar: In one of the biggest bureaucratic realignments of the year, the Gujarat government has transferred and reassigned 26 senior IAS officers across core governance, finance, education, health, agriculture, energy, industry, transport, social justice, forests and public sector undertakings. The large-scale reshuffle reflects a strategic push to strengthen administrative leadership and speed up policy execution across key departments.
Key Changes in the Chief Minister’s Office
The most significant change places Sanjeev Kumar (IAS, 1998) as the new Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, while he also assumes additional charge of the Home Department, positioning him at the centre of governance and internal administration.
Dr. Vikrant Pandey (IAS, 2005) has been redesignated as Additional Principal Secretary to the CM, and Ajay Kumar (IAS, 2006) takes over as Secretary to the Chief Minister, completing a major restructuring of the CM Office.
Education Leadership Recast
In the education sector, Mukesh Kumar (IAS, 1996) has been appointed Principal Secretary, Higher and Technical Education, while Milind Torawane (IAS, 2000) now heads Primary and Secondary Education, signalling renewed focus on school reforms, digital education expansion and higher education infrastructure.
Health, Social Justice & Tribal Welfare
The Health Department sees Rajeev Topno (IAS, 1996) taking charge as Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, and Dr. Sandhya Bhullar (IAS, 2003) appointed as Commissioner of Health (Urban).
Harshadkumar Patel (IAS, 2005) becomes Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment, while Mohammad Shahid (IAS, 1998) has been posted as Principal Secretary, Tribal Development, strengthening leadership in welfare-oriented departments.
Agriculture & Rural Economy Reinforced
To bolster the rural economy, Ramesh Chand Meena (IAS, 1997) has been appointed Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Co-operation, and Arunkumar Solanki (IAS, 1990) has been made Additional Chief Secretary for Agriculture and Allied Sectors, which includes animal husbandry, fisheries and cooperative institutions.
Finance, Revenue & Taxation
In the Finance Department, Jenu Devan (IAS, 2006) takes charge as Secretary, Finance (Expenditure), while Arti Kanwar (IAS, 2001) has been appointed Chief Commissioner of State Tax, Ahmedabad, placing experienced leadership in charge of fiscal administration.
Energy, Transport & Infrastructure
The Energy and Petrochemicals Department will now be led by Ashwani Kumar (IAS, 1997) as Principal Secretary.
Avantika Singh Aulakh (IAS, 2003) has been appointed Managing Director, Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC).
Rajender Kumar (IAS, 2004) takes over as Commissioner of Transport, while Kuldeep Arya (IAS, 2009) has been posted as Secretary, Industries and Mines Department, strengthening industrial policy execution.
Forest, Labour, Climate & Youth Affairs
Environmental governance sees Vinod Ramachandra Rao (IAS, 2000) appointed Principal Secretary, Forest and Environment.
Lochan Sehra (IAS, 2002) becomes Secretary, Labour, Skill Development and Employment.
Dr. Rahul Gupta (IAS, 2004) has been appointed Secretary, Sports, Youth and Cultural Activities, while continuing to hold additional charge of the Climate Change Department.
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PSU & Strategic Appointments
Among PSU-linked postings, Rajkumar Beniwal (IAS, 2004) has been appointed Managing Director, Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals (GNFC), and several other senior officers have been repositioned across development authorities and corporations to oversee industrial, infrastructure and public sector operations.
Officials say the reshuffle is designed to ensure experienced administrators are placed in departments that directly influence service delivery, infrastructure growth, social welfare implementation and fiscal management. With fresh leadership now installed across 26 IAS positions, the government aims to accelerate development projects, improve coordination among departments and strengthen on-ground governance outcomes.
The reshuffle marks a renewed administrative push as Gujarat prepares for the next phase of governance reforms and large-scale development execution.