(THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA.COM)
In a notable bureaucratic reshuffle, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has cleared the appointments of 41 senior officers to Joint Secretary and equivalent level positions across various ministries and departments of the Government of India. These appointments reflect a balanced representation of IAS, IRS, IDAS, CSS and other central services, highlighting a diverse administrative pool being placed in strategic policy and execution roles.

In the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, two key appointments have been made with Anbalagan P (IAS, Chhattisgarh cadre) and Sanjay Kumar Agarwal (IAS, Bihar cadre) taking charge as Joint Secretaries, replacing Yogita Rana and Muktanand Agarwal respectively. These postings underline the ministry’s focus on strengthening leadership for agricultural reforms and farmer-centric initiatives.

The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying has welcomed Muthukumarasamy B (IAS, Uttar Pradesh cadre) in place of Sarita Chand Chauhan. In the Department of Atomic Energy, Sandeep Raj (IRS-IT) steps in as Joint Secretary & Financial Adviser, following a temporary downgrade of the Additional Secretary-level post.

In the Ministry of AYUSH, Alarmelmangai D (IAS, Chhattisgarh cadre) has taken over from Bhavna Saxena, reflecting the continued emphasis on integrating traditional medicine systems into mainstream healthcare.

Two key appointments have been made in the Department of Commerce with Nishtha Upadhyay (IDAS) joining as Additional CEO of the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and Vrunda Manohar Desai (IRS-IT) assuming charge as Additional DGFT in Delhi.

The Ministry of Cooperation has been strengthened with the induction of Raman Kumar (IAS, Bihar cadre), while Ishita Ganguli Tripathy (IES) joins the Ministry of Defence as Joint Secretary & Additional FA. The Department of Defence Production has seen the appointments of Manisha Chandra (IAS, Gujarat cadre) and Meera Mohanty (IAS, Himachal Pradesh cadre) in critical roles.

Vyasan R (IAS, Nagaland cadre) joins the Department of Economic Affairs, bringing experience from his prior roles. In the Election Commission of India, Bhanu Prakash Yeturu (IAS, Rajasthan cadre) has been appointed as Deputy Election Commissioner, an important post ahead of upcoming electoral events.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT has inducted Ajit Kumar (IAS, Kerala cadre) and Amod Kumar (IAS, Uttar Pradesh cadre), reflecting a push to boost digital governance and technology policy. Sumita Singh (CSS) has taken over as Joint Secretary in the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, with her post upgraded from Director level for a two-year period.

Chinmay Pundlikrao Gotmare (IAS, Assam-Meghalaya cadre) and More Ashish Madhaorao (IAS, AGMUT cadre) take on roles in the Departments of Expenditure and Financial Services, respectively, both supported by temporary post upgradations.

In the health sector, Anshul Mishra (IAS, Tamil Nadu cadre) has been appointed Additional Director at AIIMS, Delhi, and Umesh Balonda (IRSSE) has joined as Secretary to the National Commission for Allied & Healthcare Professions. The education sector also receives a boost with Smita Srivastava (IRSEE) taking charge in the Department of Higher Education.

S Rakesh Kumar (IFoS, AGMUT cadre) and Vinay Kumar Singh (IRS-C\&IT) have been placed in critical roles at the National Disaster Management Authority and Border Security Force, respectively. Saidingpuii Chhakchhuak (IAS, Gujarat cadre) now serves at the National Human Rights Commission.

In the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Krishna Kumar Nirala (IAS, Gujarat cadre) replaces Sanjiv Shankar. Labour and employment matters will now see new direction under Ashutosh A T Pednekar (IAS, Rajasthan cadre), while Milind Dharmrao Ramteke (IAS, Tripura cadre) joins the MSME Ministry.

Bagadi Gautham (IAS, Karnataka cadre) will contribute to capacity building in the civil services as Professor of Public Administration at LBSNAA. Rajesh Malik (IRSME) has taken over as CEO of the National Highway Logistics Management Ltd.

Additional appointments include Pemba Tshering Bhutia (CSS) at the Central Information Commission, Sai Ahlladini Panda (IA\&AS) at the National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority, and Nidhi Kesarwani (IAS, Manipur cadre) at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.

In the Department of Space, Swarnashree Rao Rajashekar (IDAS) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, while Vineel Krishna Ravella (IAS, Odisha cadre) now serves in the Department of Sports. The Department of Social Justice & Empowerment sees a dual appointment of Parveen Kumar Thind (IAS, Punjab cadre) and Latha Ganapathy (IAS, Tamil Nadu cadre).

Supreet Singh Gulati (IAS, Gujarat cadre) joins the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, and Daya Nidhan Pandey (IAS, Bihar cadre) moves to the Ministry of Steel. Sunil Kumar Ranjan (CSS) has been placed in the Department of Telecommunications, and Gaurav Masaldan (IRS-C\&IT) in the Department of Water Resources.

Lastly, Radhika Chakravarthy B (IPOS) has been appointed at the National Commission for Women under the Ministry of Women & Child Development.

These appointments mark a substantial reshuffling at the policymaking level, aimed at infusing fresh perspectives and dynamic leadership across key departments in the Government of India.