New Delhi (14.11.2025): Immediately after securing a commanding victory in the crucial Bihar Assembly elections, the NaMo administration signalled a significant bureaucratic overhaul at the Union Secretary level on Friday. The Secretary post in Petroleum & Natural Gas is virtually vacant, while another position in the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities is lying vacant.
The fresh movement, cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), strongly indicates that Rajasthan is set to get a new Chief Secretary (CS) soon.
The primary highlight of the day was the implied return of V. Srinivas (IAS: 1989: RJ), currently serving as the Union Secretary for the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (D/o AR&PG) and the Department of Pensions & Pensioners Welfare (D/o P&PW). The Government of Rajasthan formally requested the repatriation of Srinivas from the Centre, a move widely interpreted in the power corridors as paving the way for him to replace incumbent Chief Secretary Sudhansh Pant (IAS: 1991: RJ).
In the wake of Srinivas’s likely move, the Centre has made a temporary arrangement for the D/o AR&PG. Rachna Shah (IAS: 1991: KL), the Union Secretary for Personnel & Training (DoP&T), has been asked to assume the additional charge of Secretary, AR&PG.
Meanwhile, the outgoing Rajasthan Chief Secretary, Sudhansh Pant, is being brought back to the Central Government. He has been placed as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Cabinet Secretariat. This OSD assignment is a holding position until he officially takes over as Secretary, Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, succeeding his batch-mate Amit Yadav (IAS: 1991: UT), upon the latter's superannuation on November 30, 2025.
Pant’s return to the Secretary rank at the Centre is notable. After being empanelled for a Secretary-level post, Pant had previously served as Secretary in the Ministry of Shipping and later the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare before his tenure as the State Chief Secretary. His re-entry as Secretary for Social Justice and Empowerment follows a reasonably long stint leading the Rajasthan state administration.
(By Rakesh Ranjan)
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