Who Is Hemraj Bairwa? IIT Kanpur Graduate and Himachal IAS Officer Appointed Deputy Secretary in Ministry of Power
Hemraj Bairwa, a 2013-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre and a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, has been appointed Deputy Secretary in the Union Ministry of Power under the Central Staffing Scheme.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued the appointment order on October 26, 2026, following approval from the competent authority. Bairwa will hold the position for four years from the date he assumes charge, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The appointment order directs the Himachal Pradesh government to relieve Bairwa of his current responsibilities to enable him to take up the central deputation.
Bairwa is currently serving as Deputy Commissioner of Kangra district, headquartered at Dharamshala. His move to the Union government marks a transition from district administration in Himachal Pradesh to a central ministry responsible for policies and programmes relating to the country’s power sector.
Who Is Hemraj Bairwa?
Hemraj Bairwa is a 2013-batch IAS officer belonging to the Himachal Pradesh cadre. He entered the civil services through direct recruitment after clearing the Civil Services Examination.
Bairwa holds a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Kanpur. His administrative career has included assignments at the sub-divisional, district and state-government levels, with responsibilities spanning revenue administration, rural development, health and higher education.
Before his current posting as Deputy Commissioner of Kangra, Bairwa held several positions in the Himachal Pradesh government. These assignments provided him with experience in district governance, departmental coordination and the implementation of public programmes. His appointment to the Ministry of Power will add a central-government assignment to his administrative career.
Hemraj Bairwa: Key Profile Details
Name: Hemraj Bairwa
Service: Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
Batch: 2013
Cadre: Himachal Pradesh
Educational qualification: B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Kanpur
Previous posting: Deputy Commissioner, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh
New appointment: Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India
Tenure: Four years from assuming charge, or until further orders, whichever is earlier
From District Administration to Central Deputation
Bairwa’s career has involved assignments across different levels of the Himachal Pradesh administration. His recorded postings include responsibilities in sub-divisional administration, rural development, education, health and district governance.
He has served as Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil) in Mandi and Kullu. He subsequently held the positions of Additional Deputy Commissioner and Project Director of the District Rural Development Agency in Chamba.
At the state-government level, Bairwa served as Special Secretary for Higher Education, contributing to the administration of the department. His career also included a posting as Deputy Commissioner of Kinnaur, where he was responsible for district administration. He later served as Mission Director of the National Health Mission in Himachal Pradesh, working within the state’s health and family welfare administration.
In February 2024, Bairwa took charge as Deputy Commissioner of Kangra district. The position placed him at the head of the district administration, with responsibility for coordinating government departments and overseeing the implementation of public programmes.
These assignments have given him experience across several administrative areas. His new role in the Ministry of Power will place him within the Union government’s central administrative framework.
What Will His New Role in the Ministry of Power Involve?
As Deputy Secretary, Bairwa will join the ministry responsible for central-level policy and administration in the electricity sector. The Ministry of Power’s responsibilities include matters relating to electricity generation, transmission and distribution, power-sector development, coordination with state governments and the implementation of government programmes.
The specific responsibilities assigned to Bairwa will depend on the work allocated to him after he assumes charge. The appointment order, as described in the available report, confirms his designation and tenure but does not specify an individual portfolio within the ministry.
His experience in district administration and state-government departments will form part of his professional background as he moves to the central government.
Appointment Made Under the Central Staffing Scheme
Bairwa’s appointment has been made under the Central Staffing Scheme, which facilitates the placement of eligible officers from the All India Services and participating services in central ministries and departments.
Such appointments enable officers with state-level administrative experience to work in Union government institutions. Officers on central deputation may contribute to departmental administration, policy implementation and coordination between the Centre and state governments, depending on their assigned responsibilities. In Bairwa’s case, the deputation will take him from his current district-level position in Himachal Pradesh to the Ministry of Power in New Delhi.
DoPT Sets Three-Week Deadline for Joining
The appointment order reiterates the prescribed timeline for joining a central deputation post.According to the order, directions issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet and conveyed through a DoPT circular dated August 17, 2005, require the officer to join the post within three weeks of the appointment order’s issue.
The order also states that failure to join within the prescribed period may lead to the initiation of debarment proceedings under the Central Staffing Scheme.Bairwa’s four-year tenure will begin from the date he formally assumes charge as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Power. The appointment will remain effective for that period or until further orders, whichever occurs earlier.
A New Central Assignment for the Himachal Pradesh IAS Officer
Hemraj Bairwa’s appointment marks a new phase in his administrative career, taking him from district governance in Himachal Pradesh to a Union ministry.
His previous assignments have covered revenue administration, rural development, higher education, public health and district-level governance. The new posting will place him in a ministry responsible for a key sector of the country’s infrastructure and public services.
The appointment order also sets out the administrative steps required for his release from the Himachal Pradesh government and his joining the central post. His tenure will formally commence once he assumes charge in New Delhi.
