The Centre has approved a comprehensive round of senior bureaucratic appointments, with the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) clearing 20 appointments at the Joint Secretary and Joint Secretary-equivalent level across multiple ministries and departments. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on July 24, these appointments represent a significant bureaucratic reshuffle affecting key government positions. The order was issued by Manisha Saxena, Secretary, Appointments Committee of the Cabinet & Establishment Officer, as reported by the DoPT. Among the notable developments, IAS D Thara has been appointed as the first Secretary of the newly created Department of Capital Development after the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs was restructured into two specialized verticals.
IRS officer Satya Pal Kumar has been appointed as director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) as part of the major bureaucratic reshuffle. Kumar is a 2005-batch IRS officer of the Income Tax Department cadre, bringing specialized expertise to the national agency under the Union finance ministry. The FIU is responsible for receiving, processing, analysing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions in Indian economic channels to various enforcement agencies. This appointment strengthens the government's financial intelligence capabilities and demonstrates the ACC's focus on enhancing institutional capacity in financial oversight.
The restructuring has established the Department of Capital Development to exclusively oversee governance and development of the National Capital Region, separating capital-specific planning and administration from broader national urban development programmes. As reported by multiple sources, this move is expected to improve administrative efficiency, speed up infrastructure development and enable focused policymaking for Delhi and the NCR. The newly created department operates through a vacant Secretary-level post, with D Thara appointed as the inaugural head after nearly seven years of handling major urban development initiatives at the Centre. Her appointment comes as the department's first Secretary, positioning her to play a crucial role in shaping the institutional framework, policies and governance architecture of India's capital region.
The appointments span critical portfolios including finance, agriculture, atomic energy, consumer affairs, housing and urban affairs, disaster management, social justice, coal, fisheries, corporate affairs, and administrative reforms. As reported by the Department of Personnel and Training, these ministries and departments represent some of the most important areas of government administration and policy implementation. The scope of these appointments indicates the government's focus on strengthening leadership across these key sectors, with the restructuring demonstrating a comprehensive approach to bureaucratic reorganization and policy implementation. The latest round includes Kumar Ravi Kant Singh, IAS (Uttar Pradesh:2008) as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, and Neha Verma, IFoS (Uttarakhand:2005) as Principal Commissioner (Joint Secretary level), Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
Among the notable appointments, Divesh Sehara, IAS (Bihar:2005) has been named Joint Secretary in the Department of Financial Services, while Kuldip Narayan, IAS (Bihar:2005) has been appointed Adviser (Joint Secretary level) at NITI Aayog. Sudhir Shyam, IES (1999) continues as Joint Secretary in the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM). Avanish Kumar Mishra, ISS (2000) was named Joint Secretary in the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, and Abhijit Phukon, IES (2004) was appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. V Lalithalakshmi, IAS (2008) was posted as professor at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), and Sajeesh Kumar N, IRTS (2002) was appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. All appointments carry Level 14 of the Pay Matrix (₹1,44,20,000–2,18,20,000) and will take effect from the date the officers assume charge.
The approval of these 20 senior bureaucratic positions demonstrates the government's commitment to strengthening leadership across multiple critical sectors of the economy and administration. The restructuring of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs into specialized verticals is expected to strengthen governance in areas such as administrative reforms, agriculture, financial services, urban development, disaster management, consumer affairs, public asset management, fisheries, food security, social justice and defence administration. With officers from the IAS, Indian Economic Service (IES), Indian Forest Service (IFoS), Indian Railway Services, Indian Statistical Service (ISS), Indian Telecom Service (ITS), Indian Audit & Accounts Service (IA&AS) and the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) taking up new assignments, the exercise reinforces the government's effort to enhance institutional capacity across ministries and enable focused policymaking for India's capital region.
