The BJP is set to form the government in Haryana for the third consecutive time after securing a historic victory in the assembly elections. On October 17, Nayab Singh Saini will be sworn in as Chief Minister for a second term at Parade Ground, Panchkula, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance. Despite earlier predictions suggesting a Congress win, the election outcome has ensured that significant changes in the state’s bureaucracy are unlikely.
However, one key change is imminent. Current Chief Secretary TVSN Prasad (IAS:1988:HY) is set to retire on October 31. Speculation is rife that DoPT Secretary Vivek Joshi (IAS:1989:HY) may be repatriated to the Haryana cadre to assume the role of Chief Secretary. Joshi, who has a substantial tenure remaining until May 31, 2026, is seen as a leading contender for the post.
In recent years, there have been at least three instances where Secretary-level officers at the Centre were repatriated to their parent cadres to assume the role of chief secretaries. The most recent example is Road Transport & Highways Secretary Anurag Jain (IAS:1989:MP), who was repatriated to serve as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh. Similarly, Coal Secretary Amrit Lal Meena (IAS:1989:BH) and Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant (IAS:1991:RJ) were repatriated to lead Bihar and Rajasthan as Chief Secretaries, respectively.
