ACC approves reshuffle of 35 Joint Secretary-level officers

In a significant bureaucratic shake-up, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Saturday (September 13, 2025), cleared a major reshuffle at the Joint Secretary level, impacting 35 officers from different services, cadres, and batches across various ministries and departments. The official notification stated that while several posts have been upgraded, some have also been downgraded.

The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;

1. Nidhi Pandey (IInfoS:1991) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy for a combined tenure of seven years upto 19.07.2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier, by temporarily downgrading a vacant post of Additional Secretary, vice Sushma Taishete (CSS).
2. Ashim Kumar Modi (IRS-IT:2000) has been appointed as Joint Secretary & FA, Ministry of Coal for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He replaces Nirupama Kotru (IRS-IT:1992)
3. Meenakshi Jolly (CSS) has been appointed as Additional DG (JS level), National Museum, under the Ministry of Culture, for a tenure upto the date of superannuation on 30.09.2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will succeed Ashish Goyal (IIS:1996).
4. Anvita Sinha (IRPS:2003) has been appointed as Sr. Directing Staff, NDC (National Defence College), under the Department of Defence, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier, vice Vijay Nehra (IAS:2001:GJ).
5. Aishvarya Singh (IAS:2008:SK) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, for a combined tenure upto 05.02.2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She replaces Jitendra Srivastava (IAS:2000:BH), who was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of REC Limited in April 2025.
6. Amit Singla (IAS:2003:AGMUT) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Surbhi Jain (IES:2001).
7. Tarun Kumar Pithode (IAS:2009:MP) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, for an overall tenure of five years upto 08.09.2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He replaces Tanmay Kumar (IAS:1993:RJ). Notably, Pithode was empanelled for Joint Secretary-level posts in the Government of India only recently, on September 9
8. Ekroop Caur (IAS:2001:KN) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Expenditure, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Sanjay Prasad (IRS-IT:1990).
9. Krishna Kant Pathak (IAS:2001:RJ) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Fertilizers, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will succeed Tina Soni (IAS:2007:RJ).
10. Shalini Pandit (IAS:2001:OD) has been appointed as Joint Secretary in the Department of Financial Services, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She succeeds Sameer Shukla (IAS:2005:KN).
11. Arvind Khare (IDAS:2000) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Abhijit Sinha (IAS:2000:NL).
12. Madhup Vyas (IAS:2000:AGMUT) has been appointed as Executive Director, NIDM (National Institute of Disaster Management), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, for an overall tenure of five years upto 27.03.2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He replaces Rajendra Ratnoo (IAS:2001:TN).
13. Chetan P S Rao (IRS-IT:2002) has been appointed as Member (Finance), DDA (Delhi Development Authority), under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He replaces Vijay Kumar Singh (ICAS:1995).
14. Garima Singh (CSS) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier, vice Vrunda Manohar Desai (IRS-IT:2003).
15. Suresh Kumar (CSS) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Justice, for a tenure upto the date of superannuation on 31.05.2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He replaces Gaurav Masaldan (IRS-IT:1998).
16. Ajay Gupta (IRSS:1993) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, for a tenure upto the date of superannuation on 31.08.2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
17. Phool Chand Prasad (CSS) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, for a tenure upto the date of superannuation on 28.02.2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
18. Archana Mittal (IRSME:1996) has been appointed as Adviser (JS level), NITI Aayog, for a tenure of five years from the date of assumption of charge of the post, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She replaces Nidhi Chhibber (IAS:1994:CG).
19. Nidhi Pandey (IAS:2001:MH), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Official Language, for a tenure of five years from the date of assumption of charge of the post, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Meenakshi Jolly (CSS).
20. Sushil Kumar Patel (IAS:2009:NL) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training, for an overall tenure of five years upto 20.08.2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier, by temporarily upgrading the post held by the officer from DS/Director level to Joint Secretary level, initially for a period of two years.
21. Dinesh Kumar Verma (CSS) has been appointed as Secretary (JS level), PESB (Public Enterprises Selection Board), under the Department of Personnel & Training, for a tenure upto the date of Superannuation on 28.02.2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Nita Kejrewal (CSS).
22. Chhavi Bhardwaj (IAS:2008:MP) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training with additional charge of the post of CEO, Karmayogi Bharat, under the Department of Personnel & Training, for an overall tenure of five years upto 17.07.2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
23. Satyaprakash T L (IAS:2002:HY) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, from the date of assumption of the charge of the post, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Ravindra Pratap Singh (IAS:2007:OD).
24. Aman Sharma (IPoS:2002) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, for an overall tenure of five years upto 31.12.2028, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
25. Shreeshaill Malge (IRAS:2002) has been appointed as Joint Secretary & FA, Department of Posts, for an overall tenure of five years upto 26.02.2029, whichever is earlier. He replaces Partha Sarathi Das (IA&AS:1994).
26. Chetna Nand Singh (IRSEE:1994) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier, vice Amit Kumar Ghosh (IAS:1994:UP).
27. Nishant Verma (IFoS:1999:UD) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, ANRF (Anusandhan National Research Foundation), under the Department of Science & Technology, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
28. Harlikshoro S (IAS:2008:KL) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He replaces B Suman (IAS:1996:KL).
29. Rajaramugan Muthukalakthi (IPS:1996:MN) has been appointed as Managing Director, TRIFED (Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India), under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, upto the date of his superannuation on 30.11.2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier, by temporarily downgrading the post to the level of Joint Secretary.
30. V Lalithalakshmi (IAS:2008:WB) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Vice President’s Secretariat, for an overall tenure of five years upto 28.02.2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
31. Shilpa Sachin Shinde (IAS:2006:AGMUT) has been appointed as CMD (JS level), WAPCOS (Water and Power Consultancy Services), under the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
32. Sumant Narain (IA&AS:2000) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, for an overall tenure of five years upto 02.01.2028, or until further orders, whichever is earlier, by temporarily downgrading a vacant post of Additional Secretary in the Department.
33. Ajeet Kumar (IAS:2002:MP) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women & Child Development, for an overall tenure of five years upto 18.08.2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier, vice Pallavi Agarwal (IRS-IT:1991).
34. Radhika Jha (IAS:2002:UD) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women & Child Development, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
35. Mansoor Hasan Khan (IDAS:2002) has been appointed as Joint Secretary & FA, Department of Youth Affairs, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier, vice Sanjay Rastogi (IAS:1991:OR).