Harsh Gupta IAS: Batch, Age, Education, Career, Current Posting

Harsh Gupta is a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1997 batch Karnataka Cadre. Over nearly three decades in public service, he has worked in several important positions in the Government of Karnataka as well as the Government of India. He has handled key departments such as Health & Family Welfare, Revenue, Labour, Food and Civil Supplies, Disaster Management, and Public Administration.

Throughout his career, Harsh Gupta has served both in field administration and senior policy-making roles. His experience ranges from working as a Deputy Commissioner at the district level to leading major government departments as Principal Secretary. He also served the Government of India on Central Deputation as Project Director (Joint Secretary Equivalent) at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Following his return to Karnataka, he continued to take up senior leadership roles. As of July 2026, he is serving as Principal Secretary, Praja Seva Department, Government of Karnataka, while also holding the additional responsibility of Chairman, Karnataka Appellate Tribunal (KAT), Bengaluru.

Harsh Gupta IAS Quick Profile

Early Life and Education

Harsh Gupta was born on 24 September 1971. According to the IAS Civil List, his home state is Delhi. He completed his Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) in Electronics Engineering before appearing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination. His engineering background provided him with analytical and problem-solving skills that later proved valuable in public administration and governance.

After successfully clearing the UPSC Civil Services Examination, he joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1997 and was allotted the Karnataka Cadre.

Major State Government Postings

Over the years, Harsh Gupta has served in several important departments of the Government of Karnataka.

He has worked in the Revenue Department, where he handled matters related to land administration, district governance, and public service delivery. He also served as Regional Commissioner, supervising the administration of multiple districts and coordinating development activities across the division.

His experience also includes the Labour Department, where he served as Commissioner (Labour). In this role, he dealt with labour administration, industrial relations, and the implementation of labour welfare policies.

He later served as Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, contributing to the management of the Public Distribution System (PDS), food security programmes, and consumer protection initiatives.

Another important assignment in his career was serving as Managing Director of Mysore Paper Mills Limited, where he gained experience in managing a public sector enterprise and handling industrial administration.

Harsh Gupta IAS on Central Deputation

One of the most significant phases of Harsh Gupta’s career came when he was appointed on Central Deputation to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

He served as Project Director (Joint Secretary Equivalent) and was associated with disaster preparedness, disaster risk reduction, policy coordination, and the implementation of national disaster management programmes. His role required close coordination with Central Ministries, State Governments, and disaster management agencies across India.

His experience at NDMA strengthened his expertise in policy implementation, crisis management, inter-governmental coordination, and national-level administration.

Health & Family Welfare Department

After returning to the Karnataka Cadre, Harsh Gupta was appointed as Principal Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department.

During his tenure, he supervised the administration of one of Karnataka’s largest public departments. He was also associated with administrative reforms related to doctors’ transfers and counselling mechanisms, which received attention in Karnataka’s administrative circles.

Harsh Gupta IAS Current Posting

As of 2 July 2026, Harsh Gupta is serving as the Principal Secretary, Praja Seva Department, Government of Karnataka. Along with this assignment, he continues to hold the additional charge of Chairman, Karnataka Appellate Tribunal (KAT), Bengaluru.

Before this posting, he served as Principal Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, where he was responsible for policy formulation and administrative oversight of the state’s healthcare system.