Govt gives 3-month extension to Health Secretary Preeti Sudan, effects other bureaucratic changes

PTI, Apr 26, 2020, 9:20 PM IST

New Delhi: In a major bureaucratic reshuffle effected on Sunday, Health Secretary Preeti Sudan was given a three-month extension to maintain continuity in the government’s coronavirus fight, while Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare was given additional charge of the I&B Ministry.

Tarun Bajaj, Additional Secretary in the PMO, will be the new Secretary in the Economic Affairs Department, which assists the government in maintaining sound public finances through sustainable, equitable and efficient use of the nation’s economic resources.

Higher Education Secretary Khare was given additional charge of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, while incumbent Ravi Mittal was shifted to the Department of Sports.

Khare, who has been an old hand in the I&B Ministry, comes in at a time the print media’s finances have been hit hard due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved Sudan’s extension beyond the date of her superannuation on April 30, according to a Personnel Ministry order.

In a bid to ensure a smooth transition in the Health Ministry, the government appointed Rural Development Secretary Rajesh Bhushan as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Health and Family Welfare Department, indicating he may take over from Sudan after her extended tenure ends.

The period as OSD will help Bhushan understand the work of the ministry, which has become central to the country’s fight against COVID-19.

As many as 23 senior IAS officers have been appointed as secretaries in different central government departments as part of the rejig.

Nagendra Nath Sinha will be the new Secretary of the Rural Development Department in place of Bhushan. He is at present Secretary in the Department of Border Management in the Home Ministry.

Another additional secretary in the PMO, Arvind Kumar Sharma, has been appointed as Secretary in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry.

In a surprising change, Consumer Affairs Secretary Pawan Kumar Agarwal has been appointed as Special Secretary (Logistics) in the Department of Commerce.

He has been succeeded by Leena Nandan, a Special Secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Food and Public Distribution Secretary Ravi Kant has been shifted out as the Secretary, in the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare and has been replaced by Sudhanshu Panday, currently Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce.

Road Transport and Highways Secretary Sanjeev Ranjan has been shifted as the Shipping Secretary, a post which will fall vacant this month-end upon superannuation of incumbent Gopal Krishna.

Aramane Giridhar, Additional Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat will be Secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in place of Ranjan.

CBSE chairperson Anita Karwal has been appointed as the Secretary in the Department of Education and Literacy. She is a 1988-batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre.

Her colleague from the same cadre, Rameshwar Prasad Gupta has been appointed as the Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Gupta is currently Special Secretary, NITI Aayog.

Pradip Kumar Tripathi, Special Secretary and Establishment Officer in the Department of Personnel and Training, will be Secretary, Ministry of Steel. He is a 1987-batch IAS officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre.

Delhi Development Authority (DDA) Vice Chairman Tarun Kapoor has been appointed as the Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in place of M M Kutty, who retires this month-end.

Rajesh Verma, the Special Secretary in the Department of Agriculture, will be the new Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

Anand Kumar, a 1984-batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, will be the new Culture Secretary. He is at present secretary in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi will be the new secretary in the ministry Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in place of Kumar.

Ram Mohan Mishra has been appointed as Secretary, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. He is currently Special Secretary and Development Commissioner, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi, Special Secretary and Financial Advisor in the Culture Ministry, will be Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals.

Ajay Tirkey will be the Secretary in the Ministry of Women and Child Development and Niten Chandra has been appointed Additional Secretary, Central Agency Section, Department of Legal Affairs. Chandra is at present Secretary, Central Information Commission (CIC).

Satbir Bedi, the chairperson of National Council for Teacher Education, will be Secretary, Central Information Commission.