Who Is Rajarshi Mitra? 2012-Batch IAS Officer Named West Bengal Census Director
In a major bureaucratic appointment ahead of national demographic exercises, the Central Government has approved senior West Bengal cadre IAS officer Rajarshi Mitra as the new Director of Census Operations and Director of Citizen Registration for West Bengal.
Issued by the Department of Personnel and Training under the Central Staffing Scheme, the official order sets his tenure at three years from the date he takes charge. To facilitate a smooth transition, the central administration has requested the West Bengal government to relieve Mitra from his current state duties so he can take over his new central assignment right away.
Born on November 24, 1983, Rajarshi Mitra entered the Indian Administrative Service as a 2012-batch officer through direct recruitment after clearing the UPSC Civil Services Examination. Before making his mark in public service, Mitra spent time in academia working as an assistant professor.
His educational background is equally rooted in literature; he completed his Bachelor of Arts with Honors in English from the University of Calcutta, followed by a Master of Arts in English from Jadavpur University. That transition from higher education to public administration brought a distinct analytical perspective into his governance roles.
Throughout his career in West Bengal, Mitra has accumulated extensive experience across district administration, municipal governance, and state secretariat operations. He served as the District Magistrate and Collector of Malda from October 2019 to June 2022 before moving to head Murshidabad as District Magistrate in June 2022, marking one of his longest field assignments.
His resume also includes serving as Additional District Magistrate in Hooghly and Howrah, Municipal Commissioner of Howrah Municipal Corporation, and Joint Secretary in the state’s Cabinet Secretariat and Personnel & Administrative Reforms Department. Most recently, he took charge as Mission Director for the Jal Jeevan Mission in West Bengal.
Along the way, Mitra’s administrative work has earned significant national recognition. He was awarded the prestigious BHOOMI SAMMAN Platinum Certificate for his key role in digitalizing and streamlining land records, improving accessibility and transparency for citizens across the state. His proven ability to execute complex, large scale ground operations makes him a natural fit for his incoming central deputation.
In his new role heading Census Operations and Citizen Registration, Mitra will be leading the ground level framework in West Bengal as India gears up for Census 2027 operations.
The assignment involves managing vast digital self-enumeration processes, deploying field personnel across districts, coordinating with local civic bodies, and maintaining data standards under the Office of the Registrar General of India. His three year tenure at Kartavya Bhawan’s administrative node will be vital in ensuring that the state’s population and citizenship metrics are gathered smoothly.
