DoPT Appoints IAS Officer Piyush Singla as Director in National Health Authority Under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
The Government of India has appointed senior IAS officer Piyush Singla as Director in the National Health Authority (NHA) under the ambitious Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), functioning under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The appointment has been made through the Central Staffing Scheme and was formally notified by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) through an Office Memorandum issued on May 26, 2026.
Piyush Singla, a 2012-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, was recommended for Central deputation by the Ministry of Home Affairs. He will now serve in New Delhi under the Department of Health and Family Welfare, where he is expected to play a key role in strengthening and expanding India’s digital healthcare infrastructure under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
Officials said the appointment reflects the Centre’s continued focus on bringing experienced administrative officers into strategic governance and digital transformation initiatives linked to public health delivery.
According to the DoPT memorandum, Singla’s tenure in the National Health Authority will remain co-terminus with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. However, it may be extended further in accordance with the provisions and guidelines of the Central Staffing Scheme.
The order further clarified that the appointment will become effective from the date the officer formally assumes charge of the post.
The DoPT has also laid down strict timelines regarding his joining process. As per the official instructions, Piyush Singla has been directed to assume his new responsibilities within three weeks from the issuance of the appointment order.
The memorandum stated that failure to join within the prescribed timeline could result in debarment from future opportunities under the Central Staffing Scheme, in line with existing deputation guidelines followed by the Government of India.
To facilitate his transition, the Ministry of Home Affairs has been instructed to relieve the officer immediately from his present assignment so that he can take charge of his new role in Delhi without delay.
Prior to this appointment, Piyush Singla was serving in the Jammu and Kashmir administration as Secretary to the Government in the Information Technology Department. In addition to his primary responsibilities, he was also holding additional charge of the General Administration Department as well as the Information, Hospitality, and Protocol departments.
During his tenure in Jammu and Kashmir, Singla was associated with several governance and administrative initiatives linked to digital systems, departmental coordination, and public administration reforms.
His move to the National Health Authority marks an important transition from state-level governance to a strategic national assignment connected with India’s rapidly expanding digital healthcare ecosystem.
The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is one of the Government of India’s flagship initiatives aimed at creating an integrated digital health infrastructure across the country. The mission focuses on developing interoperable digital health systems, improving healthcare accessibility, enabling digital health records, and strengthening technology-driven healthcare delivery mechanisms nationwide.
The National Health Authority plays a central role in implementing and managing the mission, along with overseeing key healthcare programmes and digital public health platforms.
Administrative observers believe that officers with governance and technology administration experience, such as Piyush Singla, are increasingly being entrusted with crucial national-level assignments as India accelerates its digital governance and public service transformation agenda.
His appointment is expected to further strengthen institutional coordination and implementation capacity within the National Health Authority at a time when digital healthcare reforms are becoming a major focus area for the Union government.
