In a major reshuffle in top bureaucracy, the Narendra Modi government has appointed Vini Mahajan, a 1987 batch Punjab cadre IAS officer as Secretary, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Pankaj Jain, a 1990 batch IAS officer, has been appointed Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas from the Finance Ministry.
Last year, Mahajan became Punjab’s first woman Chief Secretary. She was to remain in the post until her retirement in 2024, but IAS officer Anirush Tewari replaced her as the Chief Secretary of the state in September this year after a change in political guard at state-level. Mahajan had served in the PMO during the Manmohan Singh government.
Jain, on the other hand, is the only 1990 batch officer in the list to have taken over as the Secretary of a ministry. His appointment comes in just 31 years of service.
In October this year, the Modi government had cleared the empanelment of 27 IAS officers of the 1990 batch for holding posts of secretaries to the Government of India.
As per the latest appointment orders from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, 1988 batch IFoS officer Bharat Lal, who was earlier the Additional Secretary in the ministry, has been appointed as Secretary to the Lokpal.
Leena Nandan, a 1987 batch UP cadre IAS officer is the new Secretary, Environment & Forest, while Sanjay Kumar Singh from the 1987 batch is Secretary in the Ministry of Steel.
Other important appointments include that of 1989 batch IAS officer Manoj Joshi as Secretary in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Urban Development and 1989 batch IAS officer Rohit Kumar Singh as Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs.
IAS officer V Srinivas is the new Secretary in the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances and Department of Pensions & Pensioners Welfare. Rajeev Ranjan is the new Secretary of National Commission of Backward Classes.
Alkesh Kumar Sharma, 1990 batch IAS officer, has been appointed as Special Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat.
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