The Indian government has announced significant changes in the senior bureaucratic ranks with the appointment of Devesh Chaturvedi and Sandeep Pondrik to top positions. According to a Personnel Ministry order issued on August 6, Chaturvedi, a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has been appointed as the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Currently serving in his cadre state of Uttar Pradesh, Chaturvedi brings extensive administrative experience to this critical role in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Sandeep Pondrik, a 1993-batch IAS officer who is presently stationed in Bihar, has been appointed as the Secretary of the Ministry of Steel. This new position will see Pondrik overseeing the country’s steel sector, a key area for industrial development.
In addition to these appointments, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the in-situ upgradation of several senior officers:
Punya Salila Srivastava, currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), has been promoted to the rank of Special Secretary in the PMO.
Anurag Agarwal, Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor at the Ministry of External Affairs, has been elevated to the position of Special Secretary and Financial Advisor.
Chandra Sekhar Kumar, formerly Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, will now serve as Special Secretary.
Tanmay Kumar, previously Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, has been promoted to Special Secretary.
Amit Agrawal, Chief Executive Officer of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), will now hold the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.
Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Authority, has also been appointed to the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.
These appointments and promotions reflect the government’s ongoing efforts to enhance administrative efficiency and leadership across key ministries and departments.
