In a significant administrative reshuffle, the central government has appointed senior IAS officers Ashish Vachhani (1997 batch, Tamil Nadu cadre) and M S Srikar (1999 batch, Karnataka cadre) as Additional Secretaries in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The appointments are being made on a lateral shift basis and will remain effective until the completion of their current deputation tenures or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
This move comes as part of a broader restructuring effort within the top bureaucratic ranks of the central government.
M S Srikar was recently repatriated from his parent cadre in April and posted to the Cabinet Secretariat, replacing Puneet Kansal (1996 batch, Sikkim cadre).
Ashish Vachhani has been serving as Additional Secretary (Budget) in the Department of Economic Affairs (Ministry of Finance).
The two officers are expected to take over responsibilities from Arvind Shrivastava (1994 batch, Karnataka cadre) and Hari Ranjan Rao (1994 batch, Madhya Pradesh cadre), who have been elevated to the posts of Revenue Secretary and Sports Secretary, respectively.
These appointments reflect the government’s continued focus on deploying experienced officers in strategic policymaking roles within the PMO to strengthen governance, coordination, and administrative continuity at the highest level.
