New Delhi, July 23: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved a series of senior-level bureaucratic appointments and in-situ upgradations across several ministries and departments of the Government of India. The reshuffle, notified by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, includes important changes in the Ministries of Education, Mines, Housing and Urban Affairs, Labour and Employment, Minority Affairs, Jal Shakti, Home Affairs and other departments.
Among the most significant appointments is the restructuring within the Ministry of Education, where senior IAS officers have been assigned to lead the Higher Education and School Education departments.
Major Changes in the Ministry of Education
Shri Vineet Joshi, IAS (MN:92), currently serving as Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj. He will succeed Shri Vivek Bhardwaj, IAS (WB:90) upon his superannuation on July 31, 2026.
Following his transfer, Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar, IAS (RJ:94), who is presently serving as Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, replacing Shri Vineet Joshi.
In another important appointment, Shri T. K. Anil Kumar, IAS (KN:95), currently Additional Secretary, Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education.
Appointments Across Other Ministries
The ACC has also approved several other senior-level appointments across the Union Government.
Shri Katikithala Srinivas, IAS (GJ:89), presently Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
Shri Piyush Goyal, IAS (NL:94), currently Secretary, Ministry of Mines, has been appointed as Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.
Following his appointment to the NHRC, Shri Keshav Chandra, IAS (AGMUT:96), presently serving in the cadre, has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Mines, succeeding Shri Piyush Goyal.
Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani, IAS (OR:95), Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India. He will assume charge as Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying following the appointment of Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar as Secretary, Department of Higher Education.
Ms. Archana Varma, IAS (AM:95), Mission Director, National Water Mission, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, has been appointed in the same position in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India by temporarily upgrading the post to Secretary level. She will subsequently take over as Secretary, Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs, replacing Ms. Ansuli Arya, IAS (BH:89) after her superannuation on September 30, 2026.
Appointments in Housing, Labour and Urban Development
Ms. D. Thara, IAS (GJ:96), currently Additional Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Capital Development, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, by operating a vacant Secretary-level post.
Shri Satendra Singh, IAS (JH:95), Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Urban Development, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
Shri Chandra Bhushan Kumar, IAS (AGMUT:95), presently serving in the cadre, has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, replacing Ms. Vandana Gurnani, IAS (KN:91) upon her superannuation on July 31, 2026.
Shri Suchindra Misra, IDAS:92, currently Special Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, has been appointed as Secretary, National Commission for Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.
ACC Approves In-Situ Upgradation to Secretary Rank
The ACC has also approved in-situ upgradation of two senior officers to the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India as a personal measure by temporarily upgrading the posts held by them.
Shri Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, IAS (UP:95), Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, has been upgraded as Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.
Similarly, Shri Santosh Kumar Yadav, IAS (UP:95), Chairman, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, has been granted the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India by restoring the post of Chairman, NHAI, to Secretary level.
The appointments, approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, are part of a wider administrative reshuffle aimed at strengthening governance across key ministries and departments of the Government of India. The newly appointed officers are expected to assume their respective responsibilities in accordance with the timelines specified in the official notification.