Centre Issues Key IAS Appointment Orders; Sudhansh Pant Gets Additional Charge of Statistics Ministry, Dr Pooja Joshi Repatriated to AGMUT Cadre
The Government of India on Friday issued a series of important appointment and service-related orders involving senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, including additional charge arrangements and cadre repatriation decisions.
The latest notifications, issued through the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), are part of the Centre’s ongoing administrative management process aimed at ensuring continuity in governance and uninterrupted functioning of key ministries and departments.
According to the official order, senior IAS officer Sudhansh Pant, a 1991-batch officer of the Rajasthan cadre, has been assigned the additional charge of Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
Pant is currently serving as Secretary in the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment and will now hold dual responsibilities during the temporary absence of Saurabh Garg, a 1991-batch Odisha cadre IAS officer who is presently serving as Secretary in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
The government order stated that Sudhansh Pant will continue to hold the additional charge till May 31, 2026, during the leave period of Saurabh Garg.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation plays a crucial role in India’s governance framework as it is responsible for national statistical systems, economic data compilation, programme monitoring and implementation review of key government schemes and infrastructure projects. The temporary arrangement has been made to ensure smooth functioning of the ministry during the secretary’s absence.
In another important development, IAS officer Dr Pooja Joshi, a 2011-batch officer of the AGMUT cadre, has been prematurely repatriated to her parent cadre on personal grounds before completion of her central deputation tenure.
Dr Pooja Joshi was serving as General Manager of the Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) in Bengaluru under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
The official notification stated that the competent authority approved her premature repatriation request and directed her return to the AGMUT cadre before the scheduled completion of her deputation period.
TRIFED is a key organisation functioning under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and plays a major role in promoting tribal welfare, supporting tribal artisans and forest dwellers, and providing marketing assistance for tribal products across the country. The organisation also works toward strengthening the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities through various procurement, livelihood and entrepreneurship initiatives.
Officials indicated that such premature repatriation orders are generally considered on administrative or personal grounds subject to approval by the competent authority.
The latest appointment and transfer orders are part of routine administrative adjustments undertaken by the Centre through the ACC and DoPT to maintain efficiency and continuity in governance at the highest bureaucratic levels.
Interim additional charge arrangements are commonly made when senior officers proceed on leave, retire, or await fresh postings, ensuring that ministries and departments continue functioning without disruption.
The Centre has issued several such appointment and cadre management orders in recent weeks as part of broader bureaucratic restructuring and administrative coordination exercises across ministries, departments and central organisations.
