Retired IAS officer Amit Khare, currently serving as Advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been appointed Secretary to Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) cleared his appointment on a contractual basis for three years, according to an official order issued on Sunday.
Khare, a 1985-batch Jharkhand cadre officer, had retired as Union Higher Education Secretary in September 2021, before being appointed Advisor to the Prime Minister the following month. His current advisory term was scheduled to run until June 2026.
Over his distinguished career, Khare held key positions, including Union Information and Broadcasting Secretary, and contributed significantly to finance, education, and general administration in Jharkhand.
As Higher Education Secretary, he played a pivotal role in shaping the National Education Policy. Earlier in his career, he served across undivided Bihar, notably as District Collector of West Singhbhum (1995–1997), where he was instrumental in exposing the fodder scam.
Alongside Khare’s appointment, the ACC also approved the posting of 2014-batch Kerala cadre IAS officer Chandrasekar S as Private Secretary to the Vice-President.
Vice-President Radhakrishnan was sworn in on September 12, after securing a decisive victory with 152 votes over his opponent, retired Supreme Court judge Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, in the election held on September 9. The election followed the mid-term resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21, who stepped down as Vice-President citing health reasons. His tenure was originally due to continue until 2027.
Dhankhar made his first public appearance after stepping down at Radhakrishnan’s swearing-in ceremony, where he greeted his successor and other dignitaries.
