In a major departure from the established convention Modi Government has appointed a former IAS officer Parameshwaran Iyer (IAS:1981:UP) as Secretary, Drinking Water & Sanitation for a period till February 2018. Parameshwaran had taken took voluntarily retirement in 2009 and also was well known for his Jal suraj program. Presently he is serving as Senior Water and Sanitation Specialist in Washington DC.