With four Union Secretaries retiring today, smooth transitions will take place across several crucial departments. Successors who have been serving as Officers on Special Duty (OSD), are set to take over. However, the Ministry of Coal, Culture and the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) are still awaiting new Secretary appointments.
In the Department of Health & Family Welfare, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra (IAS: 1988: MH) will hand over his responsibilities to Punya Salila Srivastava (IAS: 1993: AGMUT) following his retirement. Srivastava, currently OSD since August, previously served as Special Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) will also see a change in leadership. Bhupinder Singh Bhalla (IAS: 1988: UT) is retiring today, and Prashant Kumar Singh (IAS: 1993: MN), who has been OSD since August, will take over. Singh was formerly CEO of the Governmenat e-Marketplace (GeM) under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
At the Cabinet Secretariat, Mukhmeet Singh Bhatia (IAS: 1990: JH), the outgoing Chairperson of the National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC), will be succeeded by Sukriti Likhi (IAS: 1993: HY), who has been serving as OSD since August. Likhi was previously an Additional Secretary & Financial Adviser at the Ministry of Steel.
In the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), Ashish Upadhyaya (IAS: 1989: MP) will step down, making way for A Neeraja (IFoS: 1990: UP) as the new Secretary. Neeraja, formerly Special Secretary in the Department of Fertilizers, will assume the role effective today.