22 Senior IAS Officers Across India to Retire in February 2026: Full State-Wise List and Their Contributions to Governance
Major Administrative Transition in February 2026
As February 2026 approaches, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is set to witness a significant transition with the retirement of 22 senior officers belonging to different state cadres and batches. These retirements mark the conclusion of decades of distinguished public service by some of the country’s most experienced bureaucrats, who have played pivotal roles in governance, policy implementation, and administrative reforms.
Complete List of IAS Officers Retiring in February 2026
The officers scheduled to retire represent a wide spectrum of state cadres, including AGMUT, Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and others:
AGMUT Cadre: Chou Nakacham Longphai
Bihar Cadre: Md Nayyer Iqubal, Rakesh Kumar
Gujarat Cadre: M.K. Dave
Himachal Pradesh Cadre: Rajesh Sharma
Jharkhand Cadre: Krishna Kumar Singh
Madhya Pradesh Cadre: Urmila Surendra Shukla
Maharashtra Cadre: Vivek Bhimanwar
Odisha Cadre: Shakuntala Bindhani
Punjab Cadre: Arun Sekhri, Arvind Pal Singh Sandhu
Rajasthan Cadre: Pratibha Singh
Tamil Nadu Cadre: Dr. K. Gopal
Tripura Cadre: Tarun Kanti Debnath
Uttar Pradesh Cadre: Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Subhash Chand Sharma, Chandra Bhushan Singh, Atal Kumar Rai
Uttarakhand Cadre: Deependra Kumar Chaudhary
West Bengal Cadre: Vivek Kumar, Parthapratim Manna, Arup Sengupta
Contributions of Retiring IAS Officers
These officers have held key administrative positions in their respective states and at the central level. Their careers have spanned critical sectors such as:
Rural development and poverty alleviation
Education and health reforms
Infrastructure and revenue administration
Law and order management
Implementation of flagship government schemes
Many of them have been instrumental in introducing policy innovations, strengthening administrative efficiency, and ensuring effective delivery of public services. Their leadership has shaped governance models that continue to influence administrative practices today.
Importance of IAS Retirements
The retirement of senior IAS officers presents both challenges and opportunities for the administrative machinery:
Challenges: The exit of experienced leadership creates a vacuum in institutional memory and decision-making.
Opportunities: These retirements open avenues for promotions and induction of new officers, ensuring continuity in governance while bringing fresh perspectives into administration.
Such transitions highlight the importance of succession planning in civil services to maintain effective governance across states and Union Territories.
Looking Ahead
With the retirement of these 22 officers in February 2026, the government is expected to restructure key administrative positions and make new appointments to fill vacancies. This reshuffling will be crucial to maintaining efficiency and ensuring that governance remains responsive to public needs.
The retirement of these officers underscores the cyclical nature of civil service leadership, where decades of experience give way to new energy and ideas, ensuring that the administrative framework continues to evolve with changing times.
