The Centre on Friday appointed 19 Joint Secretaries with the major portion of officers coming from  the non-IAS or allied services including the Central Secretariat Services (CSS).

The  elevation of the  non-IAs officers to the post of joint secretary is part of the Government’s continued thrust to  give more weightage to officers out of the IAS cadres in appointment of crucial offices, especially those at  Union Ministries and related departments.

Of the total appointments,  only five are from the IAS and the rest are from different services with the Government.  The rest are from officers from Defence Estate Services, Indian Forest Service, and Central Public Sector Enterprise services. 

Padam Lal Negi (IDAS) has been appointed as joint secretary & financial advisor, Ministry of Civil Aviation, while Sanjeev Kumar Kassi (CPES) will be JS Coal Ministry and Gangadhar Panda (IRS) additional director of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), according to an order issued by the Personnel Ministry.

Jitendra Srivastava, a 2000-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Bihar cadre, has been named Joint Secretary, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation and K Manicka Raj (IAS)  joint secretary, Department of Economic Affairs.

Preet Pal Singh (Indian Forest Service) has been appointed  joint secretary, Ministry of Food Processing industries, Rina Sonowal Kouli (IIS)  joint secretary in the Department of Higher Education, Lokhande Prashant Sitaram (IAS)  joint secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Chittaranjan Dash (IAS) and Ravi Shankar (IDES) have been appointed  principal commissioners, Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

Deepika Kachhal (IIS)  will be joint secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Manish Kumar Kanojia (IRS) will be financial advisor, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Mumbai, Surender Mehra (IFoS) as adviser, NITI Aayog and Sanjiv (IRS)  as joint secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, said the order.

Lucas Laiconsing Kamsuan (CSS) has been appointed as joint secretary, Department of Public Enterprises, Anshu Manish Khalkho (IDAS) will be director (A&F), National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL), A Dhanalakshmi as joint secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Mebanshailang R Synrem (IAS) will be joint secretary, Ministry of tourism and Preetam B Yashvant (IAS) as joint secretary, Ministry of Women & Child Development, the order said.