New Delhi: In a major bureaucratic reshuffle effected Sunday a lot of changes were made. Health Secretary Preeti Sudan was given a three-month extension to maintain continuity in the government’s coronavirus fight, while Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare was given additional charge of the I&B Ministry.
Tarun Bajaj, Additional Secretary in the PMO, will be the new Secretary in the Economic Affairs Department, which assists the government in maintaining sound public finances through sustainable, equitable and efficient use of the nation’s economic resources.
Higher Education Secretary Khare was given additional charge of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, while incumbent Ravi Mittal was shifted to the Department of Sports.
Khare, who has been an old hand in I&B Ministry, comes in at a time the print media’s finances have been hit hard due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved Sudan’s extension beyond the date of her superannuation April 30, according to a Personnel Ministry order.
In a bid to ensure a smooth transition in the Health Ministry, the government appointed Rural Development Secretary Rajesh Bhushan as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Health and Family Welfare Department, indicating he may take over from Sudan after her extended tenure ends.
The period as OSD will help Bhushan understand the work of the ministry, which has become central to the country’s fight against COVID-19.
Twenty three senior IAS officers have been appointed as secretaries in different central government departments as part of the rejig.
PTI