New Delhi: The Centre on Friday announced sweeping changes at the secretary level, covering key ministries such as finance, commerce and aviation.
Among the top-level appointments were Arvind Shrivastava, who has been named revenue secretary, and Vumlunmang Vualnam, who will be expenditure secretary.
Shrivastava, a 1994 batch Karnataka cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, is currently additional secretary in the prime minister’s office and Vualnam, an IAS officer of Manipur cadre, 1992 batch, is civil aviation secretary.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) also approved appointing additional secretary at corporate affairs ministry Anuradha Thakur as officer on special duty in the department of economic affairs (DEA). She will take over as secretary upon Ajay Seth’s superannuation in June, said an order of the department of personnel and training. Thakur is an IAS officer of 1994 batch Himachal Pradesh cadre.
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With this, there would be a new set of people in the finance ministry, who would work on the economic and revenue roadmap of the country. The appointments gain significance as they come at a time of intense uncertainty worldwide after US president unleashed a tariff war. Further, the commerce ministry is working on a bilateral trade pact with the US, along with free trade agreements with the European Union and few other countries.
Another new entrant into the finance ministry is K. Moses Chalai, who will be secretary in the Department of Public Enterprises. An IAS officer of 1990 batch Manipur cadre, Chalai is currently secretary at the home ministry’s Inter State Council Secretariat.
The commerce ministry will also get a new secretary as Rajesh Agarwal, currently additional secretary, has been promoted special secretary and will take over as secretary on 30 September after the superannuation of Sunil Barthwal.
In other key appointments, Director General of Foreign Trade Santosh Kumar Sarangi, an IAS officer of the 1994 batch Odisha cadre, has been appointed secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Sarangi would succeed Nidhi Khare, who was given the additional charge as the secretary of MNRE in January. Khare is the secretary to the union minister of consumer affairs.
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Samir Kumar Sinha, the additional secretary & director general (acquisition), in the department of defence, will be the new secretary to the civil aviation ministry, as Vualnam, the current secretary, moves to the finance ministry as the secretary of department of expenditure.
Other key appointments include Manoj Govil, secretary, department of expenditure, as secretary (coordination), Cabinet Secretariat in place of Vandana Gurnani, who has been appointed labour secretary. Pallavi Jain Govil, Director General of Hydrocarbons in the ministry of petroleum & natural gas will be the next secretary for department of youth affairs at the ministry of youth affairs and sports.
Further, a 1994 batch IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre, Nidhi Chhibber who is currently serving as the additional secretary, NITI Aayog has been appointed that officer on special duty, at the ministry of food processing industries in the rank and pay of secretary to the government of India. Chhibber will take over as secretary, ministry of food processing industries upon the superannuation of Subrata Gupta the current secretary on May 31.
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