ACC Extends Tenures of Senior IAS Officers in Key Ministries; Pankaj Yadav Repatriated to Haryana Cadre
In a major round of high-level administrative decisions, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved a series of tenure extensions, deputation continuations, and cadre-related changes involving senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) officers serving in strategically important ministries and departments of the Government of India.
The latest orders, issued through the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), affect senior officers working in the Ministries of Agriculture, Jal Shakti, Civil Aviation, Rural Development, and Finance. The decisions are aimed at ensuring continuity in governance, policy execution, and administrative stability across critical sectors.
Among the key decisions, the ACC approved a two-year extension in the central deputation tenure of Maninder Kaur Dwivedi, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre who is currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
According to the official order, her tenure has been extended beyond August 31, 2026, up to August 31, 2028, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She has been serving in the position since June 2023 and is regarded as an experienced administrator in the agriculture and rural development ecosystem.
Before assuming charge as Additional Secretary, Dwivedi served as Managing Director of the Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) from August 2022. She had joined central deputation under the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and was later empanelled in March 2023 for holding Additional Secretary or equivalent posts in the Government of India.
In another significant decision, the ACC approved a one-year extension in the deputation tenure of Archana Verma, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre who is serving as Mission Director of the National Water Mission (NWM) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Her tenure has now been extended beyond September 8, 2026, up to September 8, 2027. Archana Verma has been working in the role at the level of Additional Secretary since September 2022 and has been associated with key policy initiatives related to water conservation, sustainable water management, and river resource governance.
Notably, she was empanelled earlier this year for holding Secretary-equivalent posts in the Government of India, reflecting her seniority and administrative experience. The National Water Mission functions under the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and plays a crucial role in India’s water sustainability strategy.
The ACC also approved the repatriation of Pankaj Yadav, a 2001-batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre who has been serving as Additional Secretary in the Department of Rural Development. He has now been sent back to his parent cadre in Haryana.
The order additionally mentions an extension in his cooling-off period. However, no immediate successor has been announced for the position in the Department of Rural Development.
In the civil aviation sector, the government approved an extension in the tenure of Vipin Kumar, a 1996-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre who is currently serving as Chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
His tenure has been extended till June 24, 2027, or until further orders. Vipin Kumar has been serving as Chairman of AAI since October 2024 at the rank of Additional Secretary. Prior to this assignment, he served in the Department of School Education and Literacy as Additional Secretary and earlier as Joint Secretary after joining central deputation in 2020.
The ACC also cleared a one-year extension in the tenure of Bhagwat Chaudhari, a 2008-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service officer currently serving as Director in the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA).
His tenure has been extended beyond June 4, 2026, up to June 4, 2027. Bhagwat Chaudhari has been on central deputation since June 2020 and has been associated with important financial and economic administration responsibilities within the Finance Ministry.
The latest set of decisions highlights the Centre’s emphasis on administrative continuity and institutional stability in ministries handling critical sectors such as agriculture, water resources, aviation infrastructure, rural development, and economic affairs. Senior officers with ongoing responsibilities in policy implementation and infrastructure management are being retained to ensure smoother execution of government programmes and long-term governance initiatives.
Officials believe the continuity provided by these extensions will help maintain momentum in key national projects and reform-oriented programmes currently underway across multiple ministries and departments.
