The Central Government has approved a major reshuffle at the Secretary level, appointing senior IAS officers to key ministries and departments. The appointments, cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), cover important portfolios including Education, Housing and Urban Affairs, Labour, Mines, Panchayati Raj, Animal Husbandry, Rural Development, and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
The latest appointments are aimed at strengthening administrative leadership across the Government of India, with several officers taking over new responsibilities following retirements, vacancies and routine administrative changes.
Senior IAS Officers Get New Responsibilities
Among the key appointments, Katikithala Srinivas (IAS:1989:Gujarat), who is currently serving as Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
Vineet Joshi (IAS:1992:Manipur), presently Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj. He will succeed Vivek Bhardwaj (IAS:1990:West Bengal) after his superannuation on July 31, 2026.
Naresh Pal Gangwar (IAS:1994:Rajasthan), currently Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, has been appointed Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, replacing Vineet Joshi.
Piyush Goyal (IAS:1994:Nagaland), Secretary, Ministry of Mines, has been appointed Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) with the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.
Education, Mines and Housing Ministries See Key Changes
T. K. Anil Kumar (IAS:1996:Karnataka), who is serving as Additional Secretary in the Department of Rural Development, has been appointed Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education.
Keshav Chandra (IAS:1996:AGMUT), presently serving in the cadre, has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Mines, succeeding Piyush Goyal.
D. Thara (IAS:1996:Gujarat), currently Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has been appointed Secretary, Department of Capital Development, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, against a vacant Secretary-level post.
Satendra Singh (IAS:1996:Jharkhand), Additional Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, has been appointed Secretary, Department of Urban Development, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Animal Husbandry, Official Language and Labour Departments Get New Secretaries
Sushil Kumar Lohani (IAS:1996:Odisha), Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, has been appointed Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India. He will formally take over as Secretary of the department after Naresh Pal Gangwar assumes charge in the Ministry of Education.
Archana Varma (IAS:1996:Assam-Meghalaya), currently Mission Director of the National Water Mission under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, has been upgraded to the rank and pay of Secretary while continuing in her present post. She will subsequently take over as Secretary, Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs, after Ansuli Arya (IAS:1989:Bihar) retires on September 30, 2026.
Chandra Bhushan Kumar (IAS:1996:AGMUT) has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment. He will succeed Vandana Gurnani (IAS:1991:Karnataka) upon her retirement on July 31, 2026.
New Appointments in LBSNAA and National Commission for Minorities
B. Rajender (IAS:1996:Bihar) has been appointed Director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India. He will take over from Sriram Taranikanti (IAS:1992:Tripura) after his retirement on July 31, 2026.
Suchindra Misra (IDAS:1992), currently Special Secretary in the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, has been appointed Secretary, National Commission for Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.
Complete List of Secretary-Level Appointments
The appointments approved by the ACC are as follows:
- Katikithala Srinivas (IAS:1989:GJ) – Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs → Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
- Vineet Joshi (IAS:1992:MN) – Secretary, Department of Higher Education → Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
- Naresh Pal Gangwar (IAS:1994:RJ) – Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying → Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.
- Piyush Goyal (IAS:1994:NL) – Secretary, Ministry of Mines → Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
- T. K. Anil Kumar (IAS:1996:KN) – Additional Secretary, Department of Rural Development → Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education.
- Sushil Kumar Lohani (IAS:1996:OR) – Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj → Officer on Special Duty, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, to later assume charge as Secretary.
- Archana Varma (IAS:1996:AM) – Mission Director, National Water Mission → Upgraded to Secretary rank and later to become Secretary, Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Keshav Chandra (IAS:1996:AGMUT) – Presently in cadre → Secretary, Ministry of Mines.
- D. Thara (IAS:1996:GJ) – Additional Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs → Secretary, Department of Capital Development, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
- B. Rajender (IAS:1996:BH) – Presently in cadre → Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA).
- Chandra Bhushan Kumar (IAS:1996:AGMUT) – Presently in cadre → Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment.
- Satendra Singh (IAS:1996:JH) – Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat → Secretary, Department of Urban Development, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
- Suchindra Misra (IDAS:1992) – Special Secretary, Department of Commerce → Secretary, National Commission for Minorities.
Administrative Reshuffle to Strengthen Governance
The latest round of appointments reflects the Centre’s continued focus on placing experienced officers in key leadership positions across important ministries and constitutional institutions. With several senior officers set to retire in the coming months, the reshuffle is expected to ensure a smooth transition in governance and maintain continuity in policy implementation across the Union Government.