Appointments Committee of the Cabinet Clears Five-Year Tenure Under Environment Ministry
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Shri Tarun Kumar Pithode, a 2009-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, as the Member Secretary of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas.
Mr. Pithode, who is currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), will assume his new role under the same ministry. His appointment has been cleared at Pay Level 14 (₹1,44,200 – ₹2,18,200) on the 7th Central Pay Commission scale.
According to the official notification, his tenure as Member Secretary, CAQM, will be for a period of five years — up to September 8, 2029, or until further orders, whichever comes earlier. He will be taking charge in place of Shri Arvind Kumar Nautiyal, a 1992-batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), who previously held the position.
As Member Secretary, Mr. Pithode will play a crucial role in coordinating air quality management efforts across Delhi-NCR and nearby states, a region frequently facing severe pollution challenges. The CAQM, established under the Environment Ministry, is the apex statutory body responsible for planning, implementing, and monitoring measures to improve air quality in the region.
An experienced administrator, Mr. Pithode has earlier held several key assignments in the Madhya Pradesh state administration and the central government, including work in governance reforms, disaster management, and environmental policy. His appointment signals the government’s continued focus on strengthening institutional leadership in tackling the persistent issue of air pollution in North India.
