In a move to strengthen census operations and citizen registration systems, the Central Government has appointed two IAS officers to key roles across Union Territories and northeastern states.
Awanish Kumar, a 2014-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, has been appointed as Director of Census Operations and Director of Citizen Registration (DCO/DCR) for Lakshadweep. He will hold the additional charge at the Deputy Secretary level under the Central Staffing Scheme of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
His tenure will be for three years from the date of assuming charge or until further orders. The government has directed him to take up the assignment at the earliest and inform the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner.
In a parallel development, Sonal Swaroop, a 2012-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, has been appointed as Director of Census Operations and Director of Citizen Registration for Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.
She will also serve a three-year tenure under the Central Staffing Scheme. The competent authority has instructed her to be relieved immediately from her current role to assume the new responsibility.
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Officials said these appointments are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen India’s census framework and civil registration systems. The roles are critical for improving data collection, population mapping, and maintaining accurate citizen records—key elements for effective governance and policy planning.
With these postings, the Centre aims to ensure more efficient and streamlined census operations, particularly in strategically important regions like Lakshadweep and the northeastern states.