Centre reshuffles top bureaucracy; appoints 48 officers as joint secretaries

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday effected a major bureaucratic reshuffle, appointing 48 civil servants as joint secretaries or to equivalent posts.

Hardik Satishchandra Shah, a 2010-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Gujarat cadre, has been appointed as private secretary (joint secretary level) to the prime minister, an order issued by the personnel ministry said.

Shah, who is already working as the prime minister's private secretary, will now hold the post at the joint secretary level "from the date of assumption of charge, on a co-terminus basis", it said.


Senior IAS officer Kapil Meena has been appointed as managing director of the National Horticulture Board under the Department of Agriculture, while Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer Priyanka Das has been named joint secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Jawahar Packirisamy will serve as chairman (JS level) of the Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) under the Department of Commerce, the order said.

Preeti Meena, Shailesh Kumar Chourasia, and Vinod Kumar have been appointed joint secretaries in the Department of Defence, while Ajeet Kumar Srivastava has been named additional financial adviser and joint secretary in the same department, it said.

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Sakshi Mittal and Laya Madduri have been appointed joint secretaries in the Department of Economic Affairs.

Vikas Singh and Girish Chandrashekhar Hosur will serve as joint secretaries in the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

Bihar cadre IAS officer Bandana Preyashi has been appointed as joint secretary in the Department of Fertilisers, the order said.

Senior bureaucrats Muthukumar Alagumuthu and Prabhakar have been named joint secretaries in the Department of Health and Family Welfare.

Mahatme Sandeep Namdeo (IAS) and Rakesh Rathi (Indian Police Service officer) will serve as joint secretaries in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Parikipandla Narahari, a 2001-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed joint secretary in the Department of Land Resources, while Manipur cadre IAS officer Harmit Singh Pahuja will be joint secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training.

Venkatesapathy S and Praveen P Nair have been appointed joint secretaries in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

Senior bureaucrats Kajal and Sumeet Kumar Jarangal have been named joint secretaries in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, the order said.

Also Read: Centre announces major bureaucratic reshuffle across key ministries

Saravanan M will be the joint secretary in the Department of Space, and K Balaji has been appointed joint secretary in the Department of Telecommunications, among others.