In a significant administrative development, senior IAS officer Kaushal Raj Sharma (IAS:2006:UP) has been deputed from the Uttar Pradesh cadre to the AGMUT cadre (Delhi segment) for a period of three years. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued the official order on Tuesday (06.05.2025), following the approval of the central government in concurrence with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The inter-cadre deputation comes just two weeks after Sharma was transferred from Varanasi, where he had been serving as Divisional Commissioner, to Lucknow. On April 21, he was appointed Secretary to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. However, within a fortnight of assuming this new role, a fresh order has reassigned him to the AGMUT cadre. Sources suggest that Sharma is likely to be entrusted with a major responsibility in Delhi.
Kaushal Raj Sharma has been a pivotal administrative figure in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency. Appointed as District Magistrate in 2019, he was later promoted to the post of Divisional Commissioner. At one point, he was briefly transferred to serve as Commissioner in Prayagraj; however, the transfer order was revised before it could take effect, and he continued his tenure in Varanasi.
Sharma served in Varanasi from 2019 until April 22, 2025, a tenure spanning six years. During this time, he played a pivotal role in transforming the city’s urban landscape and effectively executed several flagship projects of both the central and state governments. Among his most notable contributions was his leadership in the implementation of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor — a pet project of Prime Minister Modi, aimed at enhancing the spiritual and infrastructural fabric of the ancient city.
Known for his administrative acumen and on-ground execution skills, Kaushal Raj Sharma’s shift to Delhi is being closely watched in bureaucratic and political circles, with expectations of a prominent role in the national capital’s governance setup.
