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Karnataka Reshuffle: Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey appointed Health Secretary

By
LO Bureau
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Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey IAS

The Karnataka government on Monday (April 13, 2026) effected minor but significant changes in the state’s bureaucratic set-up, involving key IAS officers.

Senior IAS officer Harsh Gupta (IAS:1997:KN), who was serving as Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, has been moved from his post. Notably, he has not been assigned any new posting for the time being.

He will be replaced by Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey (IAS:1998:KN), who was serving as Principal Secretary, Revenue Department (Disaster Management, Stamps and Registration and Social Security).

Following this, Manoj Kumar Meena (IAS:2003:KN), Secretary, Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, has been appointed as Secretary, Revenue Department (Disaster Management, Stamps and Registration and Social Security), succeeding Pandey.

Meanwhile, Salma K Fahim (IAS:2006:KN), currently serving as Secretary, Labour Department, has been given the additional charge of Secretary, Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood.

Arrested ex-IAS Subodh Agarwal names former Rajasthan CS Sudhansh Pant in JJM scam

By
LO Bureau
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Subodh Agarwal ex-IAS

A sensitive twist has been added to Rajasthan’s high-profile Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scam, worth Rs 960 crore, by arrested former IAS officer Subodh Agarwal (IAS:1988:RJ). Agarwal made a sensational disclosure by naming former state Chief Secretary Sudhansh Pant (IAS:1991:RJ) in the case during his court appearance. The development has caused an upheaval in the state’s administrative machinery.

Agrawal had been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) from Delhi last week and was produced before a Jaipur court on Monday after the end of his ACB remand. He was serving as Additional Chief Secretary of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) when the alleged scam took place. He took everyone by surprise when he publicly referred to ex-CS Pant in the case.

While speaking to reporters outside the court, Agarwal alleged that of the 37 Finance Committee-related cases under scrutiny, only four pertain to his tenure, while the remaining 33 date back to the period when Pant was in charge.

He went on to allege that these 33 cases involve financial irregularities of nearly Rs 600 crore. He also questioned the ACB’s probe, claiming that the agency was allegedly ignoring cases involving actual cash transactions and focusing on files where payments had not yet been made.

The investigation into the scam revealed that bribes were allegedly distributed to officials at a Jaipur hotel.

Besides Agarwal, nine other officials and former PHED Mahesh Joshi have so far been arrested in the case, while three PHED officials—Jitendra Sharma (then Executive Engineer), Mukesh Goyal (then Superintending Engineer), and their associate Sanjeev Gupta—remain absconding.

Joshi was taken into custody but later granted bail. Now, Agarwal’s arrest is being considered a significant breakthrough in the ongoing investigation.

According to ACB sources, the scam involved manipulation of tenders for the JJM project in collusion with private firms.

Agarwal has subsequently been sent to ACB remand for another two days, and his next appearance is scheduled for April 15.

ACC appoints 7 CVOs in ITI, DoT, SAIL, IOCL, BEL and Other PSUs

By
LO Bureau
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Chief Vigilance Officer

The central government has approved the appointment of seven Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) in key public sector undertakings and government departments, including ITI, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), SAIL, IOCL and BEL.

According to an official order, six officers have been appointed for an initial tenure of three years from the date of assumption of charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. One officer has been appointed for a tenure up to September 15, 2028.

The appointments are as follows:

  1. Babji Patchilla (IOFS:1998) has been appointed as CVO, Indian Telephone Industries Ltd. (ITI), Bengaluru.
  2. Dalip Singh Bhadauria (IOFS:2002) has been appointed as CVO, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Delhi.
  3. Trinadh Kumar Goriparti (IFoS:2002:AGMUT) has been appointed as CVO, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd. (RINL), Visakhapatnam.
  4. Dilip Kumar (IRSME:2002) has been appointed as CVO, Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL), Delhi.
  5. Rajesh Kumar Singh (IRSS:2002) has been appointed as CVO, Power Finance Corporation (PFC), Delhi.
  6. Shailendra Singh (IFoS:1997:TR) has been appointed as CVO, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL), Delhi, for a tenure up to September 15, 2028.
  7. Saravanan Mannai Pathakkam (IPoS:2000) has been appointed as CVO, Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL), Bengaluru.

ACC appoints 5 CVOs in PSUs and Government Bodies including SAI, Prasar Bharati

By
LO Bureau
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Chief Vigilance Officer

In a significant development, the central government has approved the appointment of five Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) in major public sector undertakings and government organisations, including Sports Authority of India (SAI), Prasar Bharati, and Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. (MCL).

According to an official order, all five officers have been appointed for an initial tenure of three years from the date of assumption of charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

The appointments are as follows:

  1. Ashish Kumar Shukla (IOFS:2010) has been appointed as CVO of Sports Authority of India (SAI), Delhi, under the Department of Sports.
  2. Rohit Kumar Mishra (IOFS:2009) has been appointed as CVO of Bridge & Roof Company (India) Ltd. (BRCIL), Kolkata.
  3. Devinder Kumar (IOFS:2003) has been appointed as CVO of Prasar Bharati (PB), Delhi, under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
  4. Sambeet Saurav Nayak (IRTS:2012) has been appointed as CVO, Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. (MCL), Sambalpur, under the Ministry of Coal.
  5. Hansraj Yadav (ISS:2000) has been appointed as Common CVO in Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Ltd. (REIL), Instrumentation Ltd. (IL), Hindustan Salts Ltd. (HSL) and Sambhar Salts Ltd. (SSL), Jaipur, under the Ministry of Heavy Industries.

ACC empanels 16 Railway officers for GM rank; key postings announced

By
LO Bureau
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Indian Railways

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the empanelment of 16 officers from various Railway services for holding posts at the rank of General Manager (GM) in Level 16 for the panel year 2026.

The names of the officers empanelled are as follows:

  1. Gitika Pandey (IRAS:1990)
  2. Prem Sagar Gupta (IRSE:1990)
  3. Pankaj Sharma (IRSEE:1989)
  4. R Mohanraja (IRPS:1990)
  5. P Ananth (IRSME:1989)
  6. Nilmani (IRSE:1990)
  7. Raman Krishnan (IRSME:1990)
  8. Rajeev Shrivastava (IRSE:1990)
  9. Dimpy Garg (IRSME:1990)
  10. Manish Agarwal (IRSME:1990)
  11. Ramasharay Pandey (IRSE:1990)
  12. Anil Kumar Jain (IRSEE:1990)
  13. Dilip Kumar Singh (IRSSE:1990)

Additionally, an extended panel has also been approved to be operated in case of unforeseen vacancies. The officers in the extended panel are:

  1. Vivek Khare (IRSME:1989)
  2. Permanand Sharma (IRSE:1990)
  3. Shambhoo Sharan Kedia (IRSME:1990)

Further, the ACC has also approved key appointments of some of these officers to ex-cadre posts for the panel year 2026. The postings are as follows:

  1. Ramasharay Pandey as General Manager, Western Railway, Mumbai
  2. Rajeev Shrivastava as General Manager, Central Railway, Mumbai
  3. R Mohanraja as Secretary, Railway Board, New Delhi
  4. P Ananth as General Manager, South Western Railway, Hubballi
  5. Dilip Kumar Singh as General Manager, West Central Railway, Jabalpur
  6. Raman Krishnan as General Manager, Modern Coach Factory, Rae Bareli
  7. Gitika Pandey as Additional Member (Planning), Railway Board, New Delhi
  8. Anil Kumar Jain as General Manager, South Eastern Railway, Kolkata

The empanelment enables these officers to be considered for appointment to top-level positions in the Indian Railways.

Ashok Kumar Meena gets additional charge as MoEF&CC Secretary

By
LO Bureau
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Ashok Kumar Kaluaram Meena IAS

Ashok Kumar Kaluaram Meena (IAS:1993:OR), currently serving as Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, has been assigned additional charge of Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the competent authority has approved the assignment of additional charge to him from April 15, 2026 to April 24, 2026.

He will hold the additional responsibility during the period of absence on leave of Tanmay Kumar (IAS:1993:RJ), who is serving as Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

ACC clears 48 Joint Secretary-level appointments across Ministries

By
LO Bureau
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Kartavya Bhawan

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Monday (April 13, 2026) approved a major round of 48 appointments at the Joint Secretary and equivalent level across various ministries and departments. The appointments have been made at Level 14 of the Pay Matrix under the central staffing scheme.

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

  1. Kapil Meena (IAS:2010:SK), has been appointed as Managing Director (MD), National Horticulture Board (NHB), Department of Agriculture & FW, for a combined tenure of five years up to January 17, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace B Srinivas (IAS:1991:KL).
  2. G Venkatesh (ICoAS:1997), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Deepak Mishra (IFoS:1996:KL).
  3. Priyanka Das (IAS:2009:MP), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, for a combined tenure of five years up to March 5, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Shobhit Gupta (IRSEE:2000).
  4. Jawahar Packirisamy (IAS:2007:AGMUT), has been appointed as Chairman (JS level), Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA), Department of Commerce, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Doda Venkata Swamy (IAS:2001:OD).
  5. Preeti Meena (IAS:2010:TG), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Defence, for a combined tenure of five years up to February 15, 2028, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Mayank Tewari (IRSME:1993).
  6. Shailesh Kumar Chourasia (IAS:2007:MN), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Defence, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Rakesh Mittal (IDES:1995).
  7. Vinod Kumar (IRSME:1998), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Defence, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Dharmendra Kumar Singh (IA&AS:2000).
  8. Ajeet Kumar Srivastava (IRAS:1999), has been appointed as Additional FA & Joint Secretary, Department of Defence, for a combined tenure of five years up to April 4, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Vivek Arya (IDAS:1997).
  9. Vipul Aggarwal (IPS:2001:GJ), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, for an overall tenure of seven years up to March 15, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Shantanu (IAS:1997:TR).
  10. Sakshi Mittal (IAS:2010:AGMUT), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, for a combined tenure of five years up to May 19, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Rajeev Saksena.
  11. Laya Madhu (IAS:2010:AM), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, for a combined tenure of five years up to April 3, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  12. Vikas Singh (IAS:2010:TR), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, for a combined tenure up to April 27, 2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  13. Girish Chandrashekhar Hosur (IFoS:1996:HP), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, for a tenure up to October 31, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  14. Chaudhari Uday Gaurishankar (IAS:2010:MH), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, for a combined tenure up to June 23, 2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  15. Bandana Preyashi (IAS:2003:BH), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Fertilizers, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Aneeta C Meshram (IAS:1996:UP).
  16. Venkata Nagi Reddy Kovvuri (IDES:1998), has been appointed as Executive Director (General), Food Corporation of India (FCI), for a tenure up to the date of superannuation on September 30, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Sachindra Kumar Patnaik (IRSS:1997).
  17. Muthukumar Alagumuthu (IAS:2009:JH), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare, for a combined tenure up to December 4, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Ankita Mishra Bundela (IAS:2001:AGMUT).
  18. Prabhakar Jha (IAS:2007:SK), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Vijay Nehra (IAS:2001:GJ).
  19. Mahatme Sandeep Namdeo (IAS:2010:TR), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, for a combined tenure up to May 9, 2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Prashant Sitaram Lokhande (IAS:2001:AGMUT).
  20. Rakesh Rathi (IPS:2002:BH), 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 Anant Kishore Saran (CSS).
  21. Karma R Bonpo (IAS:2010:SK), has been appointed as Director of Census Operations (DCO)/Director of Citizen Registration (DCR), Sikkim, for a combined tenure up to November 25, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  22. S Tejaswi Naik (IAS:2009:MP), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, for a combined tenure up to December 14, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  23. Shakil Alam (IES:2001), has been appointed as Additional CPFC (HQ), EPFO, Ministry of Labour & Employment, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Bhaskar Choradia (IRAS:2000).
  24. Parikipandla Narahari (IAS:2001:MP), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Land Resources, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Kunal Satyarthi (IFoS:1997:HP).
  25. Ramesha G (IRS-IT:2005), has been appointed as Incharge (JS level), Central Agency Section, Department of Legal Affairs, for a combined tenure up to May 29, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Meeta Vasistha (ILS).
  26. Kulveer Singh Yadav (IOFS:2002), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Mines, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Dinesh Mahur (ITS:1992).
  27. Mohammad Afzal (CPES:1995), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, for an overall tenure of five years up to October 3, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Shersha (CSS).
  28. Anupam Kumar (IAS:2003:BH), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Sanjay Chilwarwar (IRSSE:1997).
  29. Pradeep Singh (IFoS:2005:GJ), has been appointed as Adviser (JS level), NITI Aayog, for a combined tenure of seven years up to February 9, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Jayant Singh (IRTS:1993).
  30. Shanmuga Priya Mishra (IAS:2010:MP), has been appointed as Joint Director (JS level), LBSNAA, for a combined tenure up to February 26, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  31. Ganesh Shankar Mishra (IAS:2010:MP), has been appointed as Joint Director (JS level), LBSNAA, for a combined tenure up to February 26, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Udit Agrawal (IAS:2008:GJ).
  32. Harmit Singh Pahuja (IAS:2010:MN), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training, for a combined tenure up to November 17, 2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  33. Venkatesapathy S (IAS:2009:KL), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, for an overall tenure of five years up to May 1, 2028, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  34. Praveen P Nair (IAS:2010:TN), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, for a combined tenure up to July 10, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace R Lakshmanan (IAS:2004:BH).
  35. Pankaj Kumar (IAS:2002:UP), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Power, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Mohammad Afzal (CPES:1995).
  36. Hardik Satishchandra Shah (IAS:2010:GJ), has been appointed as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister (JS level), Prime Minister’s Office, on co-terminus basis, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  37. Kajal (IAS:2008:UP), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade, for a combined tenure up to April 12, 2028, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Sandhya Bhullar (IAS:2003:GJ).
  38. Sumeet Kumar Jarania (IAS:2009:PB), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade, for a combined tenure up to April 2, 2028, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Sanjiv (IRS:1993).
  39. Rohan Chand Thakur (IAS:2009:HP), has been appointed as CEO (JS level), National Land Monetization Corporation (NLMC), for a combined tenure up to February 27, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Vikas Anand (IAS:2002:UT).
  40. Shankar Lal Kumawat (IAS:2010:TN), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Revenue, for a combined tenure up to March 2, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  41. Udit Agrawal (IAS:2008:GJ), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, for a combined tenure up to January 31, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Vinay Kumar (IAS:1999:BH).
  42. Sanjay Chilwarwar (IRSSE:1997), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, for an overall tenure up to August 31, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Ms Dana Ganapathy (IAS:2007:TN).
  43. Saravanan M (IAS:2002:BH), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Space, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  44. K Balaji (IAS:2010:UP), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, for a combined tenure up to April 27, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Sunil Kumar Verma (IRSSE:1995).
  45. Alaknanda Dayal (IAS:2000:PB), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Ajay Gupta (IRSS:1993).
  46. Suvasish Das (IFoS:2005:AM), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, for a combined tenure up to June 6, 2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Mebanshailang R Synrem (IAS:2002:AM).
  47. Pratima Satish Kumar Verma (IAS:2002:BH), has been appointed as Commissioner (JS level), National Education Society for Tribal Affairs (NESTS), for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  48. Rashi Sharma (IPoS:2003), has been appointed as Executive Director (Admin) (JS level), National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), for a tenure of five years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

DVAC Charge Row in Tamil Nadu: Home Secretary Overrides DGP Order

By
LO Bureau
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K Manivasan IAS

In an unusual administrative development amid the ongoing election process, a directive issued by Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police (Head of Police Force) Sandeep Rai Rathore (IPS:1992:TN) assigning additional charge of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to IPS officer Sandeep Mittal (IPS:1995:TN) was effectively set aside within hours by the newly appointed Home Secretary K Manivasan (IAS:1993:TN).

Rathore, who was appointed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on April 2, had asked Mittal—recently posted as DGP (Armed Police)—to also hold full additional charge as DVAC chief until further orders. The order instructed Mittal to assume charge the same day and submit a compliance report.

However, soon after assuming office, Home Secretary Manivasan issued a separate communication naming A T Durai Kumar (IPS:2004:TN), an Inspector General of Police in DVAC, as Director (in-charge) of the agency. His order, based on the ECI’s latest modification, effectively nullified the earlier directive issued by the DGP.

The sequence of orders followed a series of rapid changes initiated by the ECI. The Commission had first appointed Rathore as the State police chief and posted Mittal in place of the outgoing DVAC head. Subsequently, in a revised order, Mittal was retained as DGP (Armed Police) without DVAC responsibilities. The ECI also replaced the State Home Secretary, appointing Manivasan in place of Dheeraj Kumar.

The episode has drawn attention within administrative circles, as orders relating to transfers and postings during elections are typically routed through the Home Department, raising questions about procedural consistency.

The DVAC post has gained significance in recent weeks due to ongoing investigations and legal developments, including a case linked to alleged irregularities in recruitment in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department. The matter is currently under judicial scrutiny following action by central agencies.

Sunish S appointed as Director in Department of Revenue till January 2028

By
LO Bureau
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Department of Revenue

Sunish S (IDAS:2010), currently serving as Internal Financial Advisor (IFA) in the President’s Secretariat, has been appointed as Director in the Department of Revenue.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the recommendation of the Civil Services Board (CSB) to appoint him to the post for a tenure up to January 10, 2028, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Notably, Sunish S came on central deputation in January 2021, when he joined as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs for a period of four years. Later, he joined the President’s Secretariat as Internal Financial Advisor (IFA) on January 1, 2023. With the latest order, he has now been appointed as Director in the Department of Revenue till January 10, 2028.

Joint Secretary Shobhit Gupta prematurely repatriated from Civil Aviation Ministry

By
LO Bureau
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Shobhit Gupta IRSEE

Shobhit Gupta (IRSEE:2000), currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, has been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on April 10, 2026, the competent authority has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to repatriate him prematurely on personal grounds with the imposition of extended cooling off.

He has been serving in the position since April 2024, when he was moved from the Department of School Education and Literacy, where he was serving as Director. Notably, he was initially appointed as Director in the Department of School Education and Literacy for a five-year tenure. However, in April 2024, he was moved to the Ministry of Civil Aviation following his empanelment as Joint Secretary.

Subsequently, in March 2025, Shobhit Gupta tenure was extended for two years beyond March 1, 2025. With the latest order, he has now been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre.

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