Centre Effects Major Top-Level Bureaucratic Rejig; Punya Salila Srivastava Named Health Secretary

As part of a significant top-level bureaucratic restructuring carried out by the Center, senior bureaucrats Punya Salila Srivastava and Rajesh Kumar Singh have been named as the defense and health secretaries, respectively.

New Delhi:Senior bureaucrats Punya Salila Srivastava and Rajesh Kumar Singh have been appointed as health and defence secretary respectively, as part of a major top-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre on Friday. Srivastava, who is currently special secretary in the Prime Minister's Office, will initially join the Department of Health and Family Welfare as the officer on special duty (OSD), according to a Personnel Ministry order.

She will take over as the health secretary after incumbent Apurva Chandra superannuates on September 30, it said. Singh, who is at present the secretary for Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, has been appointed as the OSD in the defence ministry. He will take over as the defence secretary for a tenure of two years following the superannuation of Aramane Giridhar on October 31.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved extension in service of Singh beyond the age of his superannuation for a period up to October 31, 2026, the order said. Amardeep Singh Bhatia, additional secretary in the commerce and industry ministry, will be secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, in place of Singh.

Minority Affairs Secretary Katikithala Srinivas will be the next housing and urban affairs secretary. Chandra Sekhar Kumar, special secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, will be the new minority affairs secretary in place of Srinivas. Senior bureaucrat Deepti Umashankar has been named as the new secretary to the President of India.

Umashankar, who is currently establishment officer and additional secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), will join the President's Secretariat as an OSD. The officer will take over as secretary to the president after incumbent Rajesh Verma retires on August 31.

Financial Services Secretary Vivek Joshi, a 1989-batch India Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Haryana cadre, will be secretary, DoPT. Nagaraju Maddirala, who is currently additional secretary in the coal ministry, has been appointed financial services secretary in place of Joshi. Corporate Affairs Secretary Manoj Govil has been appointed as secretary in the Department of Expenditure. Senior IAS officer Vandana Gurnani, who is currently in her cadre state Karnataka, will be secretary (coordination) in the Cabinet Secretariat.

Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, chief executive officer in the National Health Authority, has been appointed as corporate affairs secretary in place of Govil. Neelam Shammi Rao, central provident fund commissioner in the Employees' Provident Fund Organization, has been named secretary of the National Commission for Minorities.

Sukriti Likhi, additional secretary and financial adviser in the Ministry of Steel, will be OSD in the National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC). She will take over as NACWC chairperson after Mukhmeet Singh Bhatia superannuates next month-end. Airports Authority of India's Chairman, Sanjeev Kumar has been appointed as secretary of the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence.

Prashant Kumar Singh, chief executive officer, Government e-Marketplace Special Purpose Vehicle under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, will be OSD in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. He will take over as secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, after incumbent Bhupinder Singh Bhalla retires on September 30.

Ashok Kumar Kaluaram Meena, currently chairman and managing director of the Food Corporation of India, has been named OSD in the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Meena will take over as the secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation after Vini Mahajan superannuates on October 31.

Pankaj Kumar Mishra, a 1989-batch Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officer, has been appointed as member finance in the Atomic Energy Commission. A Neeraja, a 1990-batch Indian Forest Service officer, will be OSD, National Commission for Backward Classes under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Neeraja, who is currently special secretary in the Department of Fertilizers, will take over as the commission's secretary after Ashish Upadhyaya retires next month end. The ACC has also approved in-situ upgradation of two officers. Accordingly, Director General of Civil Aviation Vikram Dev Dutt has been given the rank and pay of secretary to the Government of India. Sunil Paliwal, chairperson of Chennai Port Trust, has also been given the rank and pay of secretary to the Government of India.