Patna: Speculation is growing in Bihar’s administrative circles over the possible return of senior IAS officer KK Pathak (IAS:1990:BH), who is currently posted as Special Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat on central deputation. The Education Department and the post of Bihar Development Commissioner are being discussed as possible assignments for him.
Pathak has a long and widely discussed association with Bihar’s Education Department. He was appointed Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the department on June 8, 2023. During his tenure, he frequently visited schools and held meetings with district education officials, while taking strict measures concerning teacher attendance and departmental discipline. His approach drew both attention and criticism, particularly from those who disagreed with his methods.
He relinquished charge as ACS, Education, on January 9, 2024, a development that generated considerable discussion at the time. He subsequently went on leave and was transferred as Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Land Reforms Department, with additional charge as Director General of the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD). After he did not join the Revenue and Land Reforms Department, the earlier posting order was cancelled and he was transferred as Chairman-cum-Member of the Revenue Board.
In April 2025, Pathak was appointed Additional Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat on central deputation. Later, elevated to the Special Secretary post.
Sources in administrative circles have pointed to Pathak’s recent interactions with Bihar Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit (IAS:1991:BH) during meetings between the Centre and the state government on administrative reforms in September 2026 as a factor behind the speculation about his possible return to Bihar. The Education Department, the post of Development Commissioner, or some other assignment is being discussed as a possibility, although Pathak’s return to his parent cadre and his subsequent posting remain uncertain.
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