IAS V. Vidyavathi Given Additional Charge as Social Justice Secretary; Yogesh Kumar Baweja to Lead Akashvani and Doordarshan During Rajeev Kumar Jain’s Leave
The Centre has assigned additional responsibilities to IAS officer V. Vidyavathi as Secretary, Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, while Yogesh Kumar Baweja has been given additional charge as Director General of Akashvani and Doordarshan during Rajeev Kumar Jain’s leave.
The Central Government has entrusted two senior administrators with additional responsibilities to ensure the smooth functioning of key ministries and public broadcasting institutions during the temporary absence of incumbent officials. In separate administrative orders, senior IAS officer V. Vidyavathi (IAS:1991:Karnataka) has been assigned the additional charge of Secretary, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, while senior media administrator Yogesh Kumar Baweja has been asked to oversee both Akashvani and Doordarshan in addition to his existing responsibilities.
The appointments are part of the government’s established practice of assigning additional charge to experienced officers whenever regular incumbents proceed on leave, thereby ensuring continuity in governance and administration without disrupting the functioning of important public institutions.
V. Vidyavathi Assigned Additional Charge as Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued an order on Tuesday stating that the Competent Authority has approved the assignment of the additional charge of Secretary, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment to V. Vidyavathi, a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre.
According to the order, she will hold the additional charge from July 8, 2026, to July 25, 2026, during the period when Sudhanshu Pant (IAS:1991:Rajasthan), the regular Secretary of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, remains away from headquarters.
The temporary arrangement is intended to ensure uninterrupted policy implementation, administrative coordination and decision-making within the ministry during the Secretary’s absence.
Already Heading the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
Vidyavathi is presently serving as Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
With the latest assignment, she will simultaneously oversee the functioning of both departments for the designated period.
Given the close coordination required between the two departments on issues relating to social inclusion, welfare programmes and disability empowerment, officials believe the arrangement will help maintain continuity in ongoing policy initiatives and administrative work.
Her extensive experience in governance and social sector administration is expected to facilitate the smooth handling of the additional responsibilities.
Who Is IAS V. Vidyavathi?
Born on November 3, 1967, V. Vidyavathi belongs to the 1991 batch of the Karnataka cadre of the Indian Administrative Service.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree and has built a distinguished administrative career spanning more than three decades.
Over the years, she has served in a wide range of senior leadership positions in both the Government of Karnataka and the Government of India, earning a reputation as an experienced administrator with expertise in governance, social welfare and public administration.
Throughout her career, she has held several important assignments, including:
Secretary
Officer on Special Duty (OSD)
Director General
Additional Secretary to the Chief Minister
Joint Secretary to the Chief Minister
Joint Secretary
Director
Deputy Secretary
Chief Executive Officer
Assistant Commissioner
These assignments have provided her with extensive exposure to policy formulation, programme implementation and institutional management across multiple sectors.
Strong Administrative Experience Across Multiple Sectors
Vidyavathi is known for her broad administrative experience and her ability to manage complex government programmes.
Her work has covered areas related to social welfare, governance, disability empowerment and public service delivery.
She is also proficient in several languages, including:
English
Hindi
Kannada
Tamil
Telugu
Her multilingual abilities have enabled her to work effectively across diverse administrative environments while interacting with stakeholders from different regions.
Officials familiar with her career describe her as a seasoned civil servant with substantial experience in implementing welfare policies and strengthening institutional systems.
Yogesh Kumar Baweja Given Additional Charge of Akashvani and Doordarshan
In another important administrative development, Yogesh Kumar Baweja, who is currently serving as the Press Registrar General of India (PRGI), has been entrusted with the additional responsibilities of Director General, Akashvani, and Director General, Doordarshan.
The order assigning the new responsibilities was issued by Prasar Bharati on July 3, 2026.
Baweja is already holding the additional charge of Director General (News), News Services Division (NSD), Akashvani.
With the latest order, his responsibilities have expanded considerably, placing him in charge of India’s two largest public broadcasting organisations during the temporary absence of the regular incumbent.
Additional Responsibilities During Rajeev Kumar Jain’s Leave
According to the Prasar Bharati office order, Baweja will discharge the duties of:
Director General, Akashvani
Director General, Doordarshan
from July 4, 2026, to August 9, 2026.
The arrangement has been made during the ex-India leave of Rajeev Kumar Jain, who serves as Director General, News Services Division (NSD), Akashvani.
During this period, Baweja will continue to perform his existing responsibilities while simultaneously overseeing the routine administration, operational management and day-to-day functioning of both Akashvani and Doordarshan.
Officials said the arrangement is designed to ensure that the country’s public broadcasting network continues to function smoothly without any interruption in administrative decision-making.
Managing Multiple Leadership Responsibilities
Baweja’s latest assignment places him in charge of some of India’s most significant government communication platforms.
As Press Registrar General of India, he already oversees important responsibilities relating to the registration and regulation of newspapers and periodicals across the country.
His existing role as Director General (News), News Services Division, Akashvani, has also involved supervising news operations and editorial coordination within India’s public radio broadcaster.
With the additional charge of both Akashvani and Doordarshan, he will now be responsible for coordinating administrative functions, operational oversight and institutional management across the country’s public broadcasting ecosystem until Rajeev Kumar Jain resumes office.
Government Focused on Administrative Continuity
The latest appointments reflect the Central Government’s long-standing administrative practice of assigning additional responsibilities to senior officers whenever regular incumbents proceed on leave, training or official assignments.
Such temporary arrangements are intended to ensure that decision-making processes continue without disruption and that important institutions maintain operational stability.
In this instance, the government has chosen experienced administrators with proven leadership credentials to oversee departments responsible for social justice, disability empowerment, public broadcasting and government communication.
Officials noted that these interim arrangements help maintain continuity in governance while ensuring that policy implementation, administrative coordination and public service delivery remain unaffected during the absence of regular office holders.
Although both assignments are temporary in nature, they underscore the confidence the government places in experienced officers such as V. Vidyavathi and Yogesh Kumar Baweja to handle multiple high-level responsibilities simultaneously.
With welfare administration and public broadcasting playing vital roles in government outreach and citizen engagement, the appointments are expected to ensure seamless functioning of these key institutions until the respective incumbents return to duty.
