The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Friday cleared a major reshuffle of fourteen secretary-rank IAS officers across various ministries and departments.

The appointments, which include several officers on special duty (OSD) who will take charge upon the superannuation of the incumbents, are aimed at bringing new leadership to key positions in the Central government.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister,is a high-level panel within the Government of India responsible for appointing senior officials to key positions in the central government and public sector undertakings.

Senior bureaucrat Rajit Punhani has been appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle the Centre carried out on Friday.
Punhani, a 1991 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Bihar cadre, is currently the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Secretary.
The new postings are as follows:
1-Alka Upadhyaya, the 1990 batch IAS officer of the MP Cadre, who is currently the Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, has been moved to a new role as Secretary of the National Commission for Minorities, under the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
2-Rajit Punhani, the 1991-batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre, who was recently appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, will now take over as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Punhani replaces Ganji Kamala V Rao (Retd IAS of 1990 batch of MP cadre).
3-Debashree Mukherjee (IAS: 1991: AGMUT) replaces Punhani’s previous role, becoming the new Secretary for the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. She was previously the Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation.
4-Vijay Kumar (IAS: 1992: AGMUT), the current Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. He will succeed T K Ramachandran (IAS: 1991: TN) when he retires on 30 September 2025.
5-VL Kantha Rao (IAS: 1992: MP) has been laterally shifted from the Ministry of Mines to the Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation, taking over from Debashree Mukherjee.
6-Sukriti Likhi (lAS: 1993: HY) is the new OSD in the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence. She will succeed Niten Chandra (IAS: 1990: OR), who superannuates on 31 October 2025.
7-Ranjana Chopra (IAS: 1994: OR) has been appointed as OSD in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. She will take over from Vibhu Nayar (IAS: 1990: TN) on 31 October 2025.

8-Naresh Pal Gangwar (lAS: 1994: RJ) has been named Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, replacing Alka Upadhyaya.

9-Niraj Verma (lAS: 1994: AM) will be the new OSD in the Department of Justice, succeeding Raj Kumar Goyal (lAS: 1990: AGMUT) upon his retirement on 31 August 2025.

10-Atish Chandra (lAS: 1994: BH) has been elevated to the rank of Special Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

11-Piyush Goyal (lAS: 1994: NL) has been appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Mines, replacing V. L. Kantha Rao.

12-Sanjay Garg (lAS: 1994: KL) is the new OSD for the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and will take over from Pramod Kumar Tiwari (lAS: 1991: AM) on 31 October 2025.

13-Roli Singh (IAS: 1994: RJ) has been named Chairperson of the National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention, replacing Sukriti Likhi.

14-Trishaljit Sethi (lPoS: 1990) has been appointed as Secretary of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).