Key Bureaucratic Appointments: IFS Anjani Kumar Appointed India’s Ambassador to Ukraine; Dr V. Narayanan, IPS Darade Sharad Bhaskar Get Additional Charges
The Central Government on Wednesday announced a fresh set of important bureaucratic appointments and additional charge assignments spanning diplomacy, the country’s space administration and the Delhi Police. The latest decisions include the appointment of senior Indian Foreign Service officer Anjani Kumar as India’s next Ambassador to Ukraine, the entrustment of an additional financial responsibility to Dr V. Narayanan in the Space Commission, and the assignment of an extra policing role to IPS officer Darade Sharad Bhaskar in Delhi Police.
The appointments reflect the government’s continuing efforts to ensure administrative continuity and strengthen leadership across key institutions handling foreign affairs, space governance and policing.
Each of the three decisions carries significance in its respective domain. While the Ministry of External Affairs has chosen an experienced diplomat to head India’s mission in Ukraine during a strategically sensitive period, the Department of Space has ensured uninterrupted financial oversight by assigning temporary additional responsibilities to its top official. At the same time, the Delhi administration has streamlined police functioning by giving an experienced IPS officer the additional responsibility of overseeing recruitment.
IFS Officer Anjani Kumar Appointed India’s Next Ambassador to Ukraine
In one of the most significant appointments announced during the day, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Anjani Kumar, a 2003-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, as the next Ambassador of India to Ukraine.
At present, Kumar is serving as Joint Secretary at the Headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, where he has been handling important diplomatic responsibilities.
A seasoned career diplomat with more than two decades of experience in the Indian Foreign Service, Kumar has served in several key assignments during his diplomatic career and is regarded as an experienced officer within the Ministry of External Affairs.
He is expected to assume charge of his new assignment shortly.
His appointment comes at a time when India’s engagement with Ukraine continues to attract considerable international attention. Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, New Delhi has maintained a carefully balanced diplomatic approach, advocating dialogue, peaceful resolution of disputes and respect for international law while simultaneously preserving its long-standing strategic partnerships.
As India’s next Ambassador to Ukraine, Kumar will play a crucial role in strengthening bilateral relations, facilitating diplomatic engagement and promoting cooperation in areas such as trade, education, culture, technology and humanitarian assistance.
He will also be responsible for protecting the interests of Indian nationals in Ukraine and enhancing political and economic engagement between the two countries.
Experienced Diplomat to Lead Indian Mission
Officials familiar with the appointment noted that Kumar’s long experience within the Ministry of External Affairs is expected to help further India’s diplomatic outreach in the region.
As Ambassador, he will head the Indian Embassy in Ukraine and represent India’s political, economic and strategic interests while maintaining regular engagement with the Ukrainian government and other stakeholders.
His appointment reflects the government’s confidence in experienced career diplomats to manage important overseas missions during a period of evolving geopolitical developments.
Dr V. Narayanan Given Additional Responsibility in Space Commission
In another important administrative decision, the Competent Authority approved the assignment of the additional charge of Member (Finance), Space Commission to Dr V. Narayanan.
Dr Narayanan presently serves as Secretary, Department of Space, and also holds the position of Chairman of the Space Commission, making him one of the country’s senior-most officials overseeing India’s rapidly expanding space programme.
Under the latest order, he will additionally function as Member (Finance), Space Commission with immediate effect.
The additional responsibility will remain with him until July 19, 2026, during the leave period of Ms Seema Jain, an Assam cadre IAS officer of the 1991 batch, who is the regular Member (Finance) of the Space Commission.
The temporary arrangement has been made to ensure that financial administration, policy approvals and institutional functioning within the Space Commission continue without interruption during the absence of the incumbent.
Officials said assigning the responsibility to Dr Narayanan would ensure seamless decision-making and uninterrupted financial oversight at a time when several major programmes of the Indian space sector continue to progress.
Ensuring Continuity in India’s Space Administration
The Department of Space has witnessed rapid expansion in recent years with increasing focus on satellite launches, commercial space activities, international collaborations and private sector participation.
Given the scale of ongoing projects, continuity in financial administration remains critical.
By assigning the additional charge to the department’s senior-most executive, the government has ensured that financial approvals and administrative decisions can continue smoothly without affecting operational efficiency.
Dr Narayanan is already responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of India’s space programme, and the temporary assignment further consolidates administrative continuity within the organisation.
Delhi Police Officer Darade Sharad Bhaskar Gets Additional Charge
The third major administrative decision announced on Wednesday relates to the Delhi Police.
The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi has approved the proposal to assign the additional charge of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Recruitment) to Darade Sharad Bhaskar, a 2013-batch IPS officer of the AGMUT cadre.
Bhaskar is currently serving as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Headquarters-III, in Delhi Police.
Under the latest order, he will continue to perform his existing responsibilities while simultaneously overseeing recruitment-related work until further orders.
The assignment reflects the confidence reposed in the officer to handle another important administrative portfolio without affecting his present responsibilities.
Recruitment Wing Plays Crucial Role
The Recruitment Wing of Delhi Police is responsible for coordinating various recruitment processes, ensuring transparency in selections, managing examinations and facilitating appointments across different ranks within the police force.
The additional responsibility entrusted to Bhaskar is expected to ensure continuity in recruitment-related administration while maintaining the efficiency of the existing system.
Officials indicated that the arrangement has been made as an interim administrative measure to ensure that recruitment activities continue smoothly without any procedural delays.
Government Focuses on Administrative Continuity
The latest appointments underscore the government’s emphasis on maintaining uninterrupted administrative functioning across critical sectors.
Whether it is diplomacy, national space administration or policing, additional charge arrangements are often made to ensure that importa
