By THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA.COM| In a significant administrative development, senior IAS officer Manoj Kumar Das has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Gujarat. He succeeds Pankaj Joshi, who is set to superannuate on October 31, 2025. The appointment was announced through an official notification issued by the General Administration Department of the Gujarat government.

A 1989-batch IAS officer and a domicile of Bihar, Das is presently serving as Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Known for his administrative acumen and vast experience across multiple departments, Das has played a crucial role in shaping several key policy initiatives of the Gujarat government.

An engineering graduate, MK Das began his bureaucratic journey as a Deputy Development Officer in Vadodara in 1992. His first major posting came in 1997 when he took charge as the District Collector of Porbandar. Over the years, he has held pivotal roles in diverse sectors including Energy, Urban Development, Revenue, Home, Ports and Transport, and Finance.

Fluent in Bengali and Hindi, Das is widely respected for his pragmatic leadership, effective policy implementation, and people-centric governance approach. His elevation as Chief Secretary marks a continuation of Gujarat’s tradition of administrative excellence, as the state continues to pursue its vision of development and good governance under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.