Centre Rejects Rajasthan’s Request to Repatriate 4 IAS Officers; 39 Officers Burdened with Multiple Charges
The Centre has reportedly declined the Rajasthan Government’s request to bring back four senior IAS officers from central deputation, dealing a setback to the state’s efforts to strengthen its administrative machinery amid a shortage of experienced bureaucrats.
The state government had approached the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), seeking the early return of four Rajasthan-cadre officers currently serving in important positions outside the state. Their experience was considered essential for improving administrative coordination, expediting the implementation of Budget announcements and strengthening the monitoring of welfare and development programmes. The four officers whose repatriation was sought are Naresh Pal Gangwar, Rajeev Singh Thakur, Roli Singh and Rajat Kumar Mishra.
The reported rejection comes at a time when Rajasthan is grappling with a shortage of officers available for regular state assignments. The situation has reportedly resulted in several senior IAS officers handling multiple departmental and institutional responsibilities simultaneously.
Four Senior IAS Officers Rajasthan Wants Back
The four officers belong to the Rajasthan cadre and have held significant positions in the Union Government and other administrative establishments. Their experience spans district administration, finance, personnel management, infrastructure, energy and public policy.
Their current assignments and professional backgrounds include:
1. Naresh Pal Gangwar (1994 Batch)
Naresh Pal Gangwar is serving as Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India. During his career, he has held important responsibilities in Rajasthan’s Education, Planning and Energy departments and has also served as a district collector. His administrative experience in the energy sector and district governance is considered relevant to Rajasthan’s infrastructure and development priorities.
2. Rajeev Singh Thakur (1995 Batch)
Rajeev Singh Thakur is a senior Rajasthan-cadre IAS officer who has served as an Adviser to NITI Aayog. He has also been assigned to the Manipur Government on inter-cadre deputation.
His earlier assignments in Rajasthan included serving as District Collector of Alwar and Jhalawar. His experience in district administration and policy matters could be valuable for strengthening coordination at the field level.
3. Roli Singh (1994 Batch)
Roli Singh is serving as Chairperson of the National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention. She has previously held responsibilities in the Union Health Ministry and occupied important administrative positions in Rajasthan, including assignments in the Department of Personnel.
Her experience in personnel administration and government functioning could be useful in addressing service-related matters and strengthening administrative processes.
4. Rajat Kumar Mishra (1992 Batch)
Rajat Kumar Mishra is serving as Secretary in the Department of Fertilizers under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
His earlier assignments in Rajasthan included serving as District Collector of Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, besides holding important responsibilities in the state’s Finance Department.
His experience in financial administration and Budget-related matters is considered particularly relevant to the state’s development and expenditure-monitoring priorities.
Why Rajasthan Is Seeking Their Repatriation
The Rajasthan Government’s reported request reflects its growing requirement for experienced officers to manage an expanding administrative workload. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s government is approaching the completion of three years in office in December 2026. Ensuring timely implementation of Budget announcements, improving the delivery of welfare benefits and monitoring major infrastructure projects remain important governance priorities.
The four officers bring specialised experience that could strengthen different areas of the state’s administration.
* Rajeev Singh Thakur: His experience as a district collector in Alwar and Jhalawar could support district-level administration and interdepartmental coordination.
* Rajat Kumar Mishra: His previous experience in Rajasthan’s Finance Department could be valuable for Budget management, financial planning and expenditure monitoring.
* Roli Singh: Her experience in personnel administration could contribute to administrative reforms and government recruitment-related processes.
* Naresh Pal Gangwar: His background in district administration and the Energy Department could support infrastructure development and power-sector initiatives.
The state’s effort to bring these officers back underscores the importance of experienced administrative leadership in executing major policy decisions and development programmes.
Rajasthan Has 332 Sanctioned IAS Posts, but Only 241 Available for State Postings
Rajasthan has an authorised IAS cadre strength of 332 officers following the 2024 cadre review. However, the number of officers available for regular state assignments is considerably lower.
According to a report published in June 2026, 279 officers were shown as serving in the cadre, while only 241 were available for postings within Rajasthan at the time. The difference has been attributed to officers serving on central and inter-state deputation, study leave and other administrative arrangements.
This gap between sanctioned strength and actual availability has increased the workload on serving officers, particularly those holding senior positions in the state Secretariat and key government institutions.
39 IAS Officers Handling Multiple Departmental Responsibilities
The administrative pressure is also evident from the number of senior IAS officers holding additional charges. According to the report, 39 IAS officers, including the Chief Secretary, are currently handling responsibilities across multiple departments, boards and government institutions.
Some prominent examples of officers managing multiple assignments include:
* V. Srinivas: Chairperson, Rajasthan State Mines and Minerals Limited; Chairperson, Rajasthan River Basin and Water Resources Planning Board; and Chief President Commissioner, New Delhi.
* Abhay Kumar: Commissioner, Rajasthan River Basin and Water Resources Planning Authority; Chairperson, Indira Gandhi Canal Board; and Additional Chief Secretary of the Agriculture, Command Area Development and Indira Gandhi Canal departments.
* Aparna Arora: Chairperson, Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board.
* Sandeep Verma: Chairperson, Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation.
* Kuldeep Ranka: Chairperson, Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
* Bhaskar A. Sawant: Additional Chief Secretary, Justice and Sainik Kalyan (Ex-Servicemen Welfare) Department.
* Vaibhav Galeria: Chairman and Managing Director, Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation.
* Bhawani Singh Detha: Chairperson, Rajasthan State Bus Terminal Development Authority.
* Krishna Kunal: Chairperson, Non-Agricultural Land Development Agency.
* Aarti Dogra: Chairperson, Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT Services Limited.
* Rohit Gupta: Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department.
* Kumarpal Gautam: Director General, Revenue Intelligence and Economic Offences.
The distribution of these responsibilities illustrates the extent to which senior administrative officers are managing multiple portfolios and institutional assignments. 19 Rajasthan-Cadre IAS Officers Reportedly Serving Outside the State
The shortage of officers available for state assignments is also linked to the number of Rajasthan-cadre IAS officers serving in central government ministries, institutions and other administrative establishments.
According to the report, 19 officers are currently serving outside Rajasthan. The list includes:
1. Sudhansh Pant
2. Rajat Kumar Mishra
3. Naresh Pal Gangwar
4. Roli Singh
5. Mugdha Sinha
6. Debashish Pushti
7. Krishnakant Pathak
8. Ashutosh A. T. Pednekar
9. Pritam B. Yashwant
10. Bhanu Prakash Eturu
11. Bishnu Charan Mallik
12. Muktanand Agrawal
13. Prakash Rajpurohit
14. Inderjeet Singh
15. Neha Giri
16. Abhimanyu Kumar
17. Bhagwati Prasad Kalal
18. Ashish Gupta
19. Anshdeep
Their assignments outside the state reflect the presence of Rajasthan-cadre officers across different levels of the Union Government and other administrative institutions.
How Does the Repatriation of IAS Officers from Central Deputation Work?
IAS officers belong to the All India Services and can serve in their respective state cadres as well as on deputation to the Union Government.
Central deputation enables officers to work in Union ministries, departments and government organisations, bringing their administrative expertise to national-level policymaking and programme implementation.
When a state government seeks the early return of an officer, its request must be considered by the competent authorities in accordance with applicable service rules and deputation arrangements. A state government’s request does not automatically result in an officer’s repatriation.
Differences over the availability and deputation of senior IAS officers have periodically emerged between state governments and the Centre, particularly when states seek the return of experienced officers before the completion of their deputation tenure.
For Rajasthan, the reported decision to decline the repatriation request means that the state will have to continue managing its administrative requirements with the officers currently available within the cadre.
With several senior bureaucrats already handling multiple responsibilities, the availability of experienced administrative officers is likely to remain an important concern for the Bhajan Lal Sharma government.
