S Krishnan named new MEITY secretary, Vumlunmang Vualnam new civil aviation secretary

In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, secretaries of as many as 15 departments have been shifted as the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointments of several officers in various ministries, departments and organisations under Government of India. 

The government appointed senior IAS officers Vumlunmang Vualnam and Neeraj Mittal as new secretaries in the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Department of Telecommunications, respectively, according to an official order, issued on Thursday.

The panel approved the appointment of IAS officer Vualnam, currently serving as an additional secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, as the new civil aviation secretary. He will replace Rajiv Bansal, who retired on August 31.

IAS officer S Krishnan will be the new secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, according to the latest order. IAS officer Umang Narula will be the new secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

Narula will be replacing IAS officer Gudey Srinivas, who was appointed as secretary in the National Commission for Scheduled Castes in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

The Committee appointed IAS officer Chanchal Kumar, serving as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, as secretary in the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, by modifying an earlier order. Kumar will replace IAS officer Lok Ranjan upon his appointment as an administrative member in the Central Administrative Tribunal.

"Ashish Upadhyaya, IAS (MP:89), Special Secretary and Financial Advisor, Ministry of Power as Secretary, National Commission for Backward Classes, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment vice Rajeev Ranjan, IAS (MP:89) upon his superannuation on December 31, 2023," the order stated.

IAS officer Katikithala Srinivas, currently serving as the director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, will be the new secretary in the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

IAS officer Sriram Taranikanti, currently serving as an additional secretary and financial adviser in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), will replace Srinivas as the director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in the rank and pay of a Union secretary.

"Vivek Bhardwaj, IAS (WB:90), Secretary, Ministry of Mines as Officer on Special Duty, Ministry of Panchayati Raj in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India. The officer will take over as Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj vice Sunil Kumar, IAS (UP:87) upon his superannuation on October 31, 2023," it added.

IAS officer Shashi Ranjan Kumar, serving as an additional secretary and financial adviser in the Ministry of Textiles, was appointed secretary in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in the rank and pay of secretary to the Government of India by temporarily upgrading the post, replacing IAS officer Vasudha Mishra (Retd) by curtailing her period of re-employment.

"Nidhi Khare, IAS (JH:92), Additional Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution as Special Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution by temporarily upgrading the post held by her to Special Secretary level in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India as a measure personal to the Officer," the order mentioned.

The officer will join as an OSD in the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, in the rank and pay of secretary to the Government of India with effect from December 1 and take over as secretary of the department when IAS officer Ajay Tirkey will superannuate on December 31.