(THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA.COM)
The government has approved a series of high-level appointments and re-designations across ministries and departments:

Alka Upadhyaya, IAS (MP:90), Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, has been appointed Secretary, National Commission for Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs.

Rajit Punhani, IAS (BH:91), Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety & Standards Authority of India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, succeeding Ganji Kamala V. Rao upon completion of his re-employment term on August 31, 2025.

Debashree Mukherjee, IAS (AGMUT:91), Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, replacing Rajit Punhani.

Vijay Kumar, IAS (AGMUT:92), Chairman, Inland Waterways Authority of India, has been appointed Officer on Special Duty, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, in the rank of Secretary. He will take charge as Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways after the superannuation of T. K. Ramachandran on September 30, 2025.

V. L. Kantha Rao, IAS (MP:92), Secretary, Ministry of Mines, has been appointed Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, replacing Debashree Mukherjee.

Sukriti Likhi, IAS (HY:93), Chairperson, National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention, has been appointed Officer on Special Duty, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence, effective October 1, 2025. She will take charge as Secretary after the superannuation of Niten Chandra on October 31, 2025.

Ranjana Chopra, IAS (OR:94), Special Secretary & Financial Adviser, Ministry of Culture, has been appointed Officer on Special Duty, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and will take charge as Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, after the retirement of Vibhu Nayar on October 31, 2025.

Naresh Pal Gangwar, IAS (RJ:94), Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, has been appointed Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, replacing Alka Upadhyaya.

Niraj Verma, IAS (AM:94), Administrator, Universal Service Obligation Fund, Department of Telecommunications, has been appointed Officer on Special Duty, Department of Justice. He will take over as Secretary, Department of Justice, after the retirement of Raj Kumar Goyal on August 31, 2025.

Atish Chandra, IAS (BH:94), Additional Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office, has been elevated as Special Secretary, PMO, by temporarily upgrading his post to Secretary level.

Piyush Goyal, IAS (NL:94), CEO, NATGRID, has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Mines, replacing V. L. Kantha Rao.

Sanjay Garg, IAS (KL:94), Additional Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research & Education and Secretary, ICAR, has been appointed Officer on Special Duty, Bureau of Indian Standards. He will take over as Director General, BIS, after the retirement of Pramod Kumar Tiwari on October 31, 2025.

Roli Singh, IAS (RJ:94), Additional Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare, has been appointed Chairperson, National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention, succeeding Sukriti Likhi.

Trishaljit Sethi, IPoS (90), Director General (Training), Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, has been appointed Secretary, Central Vigilance Commission, by temporarily upgrading the post to Secretary level.

In addition, the competent authority has approved the re-designation of the post of Financial Adviser, National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), New Delhi, held by Ghanshyam Bansal, IPS (AGMUT:2011), from Deputy Secretary (Level-12) to Director (Level-13) with effect from assumption of charge, for a period up to May 25, 2028.