Haryana bureaucracy is faced with a bizarre predicament as its Chief Secretary (CS) Anurag Rastogi (IAS:1990:HY)’s extension is ending on June 30, which has sparked discussions about who will be the next Chief Secretary. But there is a hitch in finding an answer, as the old debate over an original Haryana cadre officer being given preference over those who were transferred to the state cadre from other states has also been revived.
In the Haryana cadre, there are around ten top contenders for the post based on seniority, current posting, central-state coordination, and the trust of the Chief Minister’s Office. If the appointment to the CS post is made strictly according to the gradation list, then Sudhir Rajpal and Sumita Misra, both from the 1990 batch and standing at first and second place in the gradation list, respectively. have a clear chance. Or will they again be ignored in favour of those originally belonging to the Haryana cadre, like what happened last year? That is to be seen.
Last time, the state govt appointed Anurag Rastogi, a 1990-batch IAS officer, as the new CS despite the fact that he was placed at the third spot in the Haryana IAS Officers Gradation list. Both Sudhir Rajpal and Sumita Misra, also from the same 1990 batch, stood ahead of Rastogi at first and second places, respectively. The Haryana govt appointed Rastogi as CS in supersession of these two officers.
And this was the second time that Rastogi was appointed as CS in less than four months. Earlier, he was appointed to the post on 31 October 2024 but held it for less than a week as his orders mentioned that he would remain CS till Vivek Joshi joined duty following his repatriation from central deputation.
Interestingly, in 2024, three IAS officers of the 1990 batch—Rastogi, Ankur Gupta (since retired), and Raja Sekhar Vundru—had even moved a representation to the state government seeking revision in the seniority list. They sought to be placed ahead of Rajpal and Misra since both had been transferred to Haryana from other states while the former three were from the parent Haryana IAS cadre itself.
While the last year, pending its decision on the representation, the state govt appointed Rastogi as the new CS, ignoring Rajpal’s and Misra’s seniority.
While the state govt is yet to resolve this old dispute, a similar situation has again arisen before it, and it has again to make a decision. If this time seniority is given prime importance, then either Rajpal or Mishra stands a chance to be picked for the job.
Sudhir Rajpal is the most senior and strongest contender in the grading list, though his retirement is due in November 2026. He is currently serving as Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, overseeing the Prisons, Criminal Investigation and Justice Administration, Environment, Forest, and Wildlife Departments. If the government adopts the “senior-most” formula, his claim is considered the strongest.
Similarly, Sumita Mishra is also a highly experienced officer in administration and financial management, and her retirement is in January 2027. She currently holds the positions of ACS, Revenue and Disaster Management. Being a female officer could further strengthen her standing if the government wants to send an administrative message.
If these two are not considered once again, then the name of their other batchmate from the 1990 batch, Raja Shekhar Vunduru, comes at the top, but he is due to retire in July 2026. If the government wants a long-term Chief Secretary, this could work against him. However, his name is not completely ruled out as a “transition CS.”
Among the 1991 officers in the race are Vineet Garg, Anil Malik, G. Anupama, Apoorva Kumar Singh, and Abhilaksh Likhi.
Besides, there is 1992-batch officer Arun Kumar Gupta, currently serving as the Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary, who stands a chance.
Apart from those mentioned above, 1993-batch IAS officer V. Umashankar is also considered a likely contender. Currently serving as Secretary in the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, he is due to retire in June 2028.
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