Bihar Government Transfers 15 Senior IAS Officers in Sweeping Administrative Reshuffle; Education, Labour, Road Construction and CM Secretariat See Major Changes
The Government of Bihar has carried out one of its most expansive bureaucratic reshuffles in recent months, issuing transfer and reassignment orders for 15 Indian Administrative Service officers spanning key departments, divisional
commissionerships, and the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. The reshuffle, announced from Patna, reflects the state government’s stated intent to sharpen administrative focus, accelerate decision-making across departments, and place experienced officers in positions where their expertise can deliver the most meaningful governance impact.
Vinod Singh Gunjiyal Takes Charge of Education Department
The most significant appointment in this round of transfers is that of Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, a 2007-batch IAS officer who was serving as Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer. Gunjiyal has now been appointed Secretary of the Education Department — one of the most operationally demanding and politically consequential portfolios in state administration — and will additionally hold charge of the Sports Department. Following his reassignment, 1995-batch IAS officer B. Rajendra has been relieved of the additional responsibilities he was carrying for the Education Department, while continuing in his primary role within the General Administration Department.
Senior-Level Changes Across Key Departments
The reshuffle brings significant changes at the Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary levels. K. Senthil Kumar, a 1996-batch IAS officer, has been appointed Additional Chief Secretary of the Labour Resources Department and will simultaneously hold additional charge of the Backward and Extremely Backward Classes Welfare Department — a dual responsibility that underscores the administration’s push to consolidate senior-level oversight in socially critical portfolios.
In infrastructure governance, Pankaj Kumar Pal has been appointed Secretary of the Road Construction Department, while Rajesh Kumar has been shifted to the position of Principal Secretary in the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), a portfolio central to Bihar’s ongoing rural water and sanitation programmes.
Divisional Commissioner-Level Postings Revised
Several divisional-level administrative positions have also seen fresh appointments. Avinash Kumar Singh has been appointed Secretary-cum-Mines Commissioner, a role that carries significant regulatory responsibility over Bihar’s mining and geology sector. Himanshu Kumar Rai has been given additional charge of the Kosi Division, Prem Singh Meena has been assigned additional charge of the Bhagalpur Division, and Anshul Kumar has been given additional charge as Purnia Division Commissioner — changes that together signal a deliberate administrative recalibration across Bihar’s eastern and northern divisions.
Technology, Food, Cooperative and Sugarcane Sectors Reshuffled
Further changes span a wide range of departmental portfolios. Abhay Kumar Singh has been moved to the Information Technology Department and appointed Managing Director of BELTRON, Bihar’s state electronics development corporation. Dharmendra Singh has been transferred from the Cooperative Department to the Sugarcane Industry Department, and Deepak Anand has been posted to the Food and Consumer Protection Department.
Fresh Appointments to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat
Two young IAS officers — Shrikant Kundlik Khandekar and Gunjan Singh — have been appointed as Joint Secretaries in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, injecting fresh administrative capacity into the nerve centre of Bihar’s executive governance. Additionally, Himanshu Sharma has been appointed Secretary-in-Charge of the Science and Technology Department while retaining his existing responsibilities with the JEEViKA rural livelihoods programme. Lokesh Kumar Singh has consequently been relieved of his additional charge of the Science and Technology portfolio.
Part of a Broader Administrative Realignment
This IAS reshuffle follows closely on the heels of a separate restructuring of senior IPS officers in the state, pointing to a wider and more deliberate administrative realignment being carried out by the Bihar government. Officials indicate that the combined effect of these changes is intended to strengthen inter-departmental coordination, reduce administrative bottlenecks, and position the state’s bureaucratic machinery for more effective delivery across its governance priorities.
