Who Is Hemraj Bairwa IAS? IIT Kanpur Graduate 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. The appointment, made under the Central Staffing Scheme, marks his move from district administration in Himachal Pradesh to a central government assignment in New Delhi.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued the appointment order on October 26, 2026, following approval by the competent authority. Bairwa will hold the post for four years from the date he assumes charge, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The Himachal Pradesh government has been directed to relieve him of his current responsibilities to enable him to join the Union ministry.
Before his central deputation, Bairwa was serving as Deputy Commissioner of Kangra district, with headquarters at Dharamshala. His administrative experience includes district governance, revenue administration, rural development, health and family welfare, and higher education. The new assignment will place him in a ministry responsible for central-level policies and programmes concerning India’s power sector.
Who Is Hemraj Bairwa IAS?
Hemraj Bairwa is a 2013-batch IAS officer belonging to the Himachal Pradesh cadre. He entered the service through direct recruitment after qualifying for the Civil Services Examination, beginning a career that has included assignments at the sub-divisional, district and state-government levels.
Bairwa holds a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. His technical education is complemented by professional experience across several areas of public administration, including health services, rural development, revenue management and higher education.
His career has involved responsibilities ranging from local administration to the implementation of government programmes and coordination among departments. These assignments have given him experience in different aspects of state administration before his appointment to the Ministry of Power.
Hemraj Bairwa: Key Profile Details
Name: Hemraj Bairwa
Service: Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
Batch: 2013
Cadre: Himachal Pradesh
Recruitment: Direct recruit through the Civil Services Examination
Educational qualification: B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering
Institution: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur
Previous position: Deputy Commissioner, Kangra district
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 administrative career has included assignments in different parts of Himachal Pradesh. His experience spans sub-divisional administration, district-level governance and departmental responsibilities at the state level, giving him exposure to a range of public-service functions.
His recorded assignments include the following positions:
Sub-Divisional Officer in Mandi and Kullu
During his earlier service, Bairwa worked as Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil) in Mandi and Kullu. The role of an SDO (Civil) involves administrative coordination at the sub-divisional level, implementation of government decisions and responsibilities connected with local governance.
Such assignments provide officers with experience in handling administrative matters that directly affect residents and local institutions. His postings in Mandi and Kullu formed part of the early phase of his career in Himachal Pradesh.
Additional Deputy Commissioner in Chamba
Bairwa also served as Additional Deputy Commissioner and Project Director of the District Rural Development Agency in Chamba. The assignment combined district-level administrative responsibilities with work relating to rural development programmes.
In this role, he was associated with the administrative machinery responsible for coordinating development initiatives and supporting implementation at the district level. The experience added rural development administration to his broader professional background.
Special Secretary in Higher Education
Another important assignment in his career was as Special Secretary in the Higher Education Department of the Himachal Pradesh government. This posting brought him into the state’s higher education administration, a field involving departmental coordination and the implementation of government policies concerning education.
The assignment expanded his experience beyond district administration and rural development. It also gave him exposure to the functioning of a state-level department responsible for an important public-service sector.
Deputy Commissioner of Kinnaur
Bairwa subsequently served as Deputy Commissioner of Kinnaur district. The position placed him in charge of district administration and coordination among government departments operating in the area.
A Deputy Commissioner’s responsibilities generally include overseeing administrative functions, coordinating implementation of government programmes and managing district-level matters under the applicable legal and administrative framework. His tenure in Kinnaur added further district-governance experience to his record.
Mission Director, National Health Mission
Bairwa also served as Mission Director of the National Health Mission in Himachal Pradesh’s health and family welfare setup. The assignment involved responsibilities within the state’s health administration and the framework through which health programmes are implemented.
The National Health Mission supports public health initiatives and service delivery through central and state government coordination. His experience in this area added a health-sector dimension to a career that had already covered district administration, rural development and education.
Deputy Commissioner of Kangra Since February 2024
Bairwa took charge as Deputy Commissioner of Kangra in February 2024. The district headquarters is located at Dharamshala, and the post placed him in charge of coordinating the district administration and overseeing government work across its jurisdiction.
His responsibilities in Kangra represented his most recent assignment before the move to the Centre. The appointment as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Power will now take him from district-level administration to a Union government ministry.
What Will Hemraj Bairwa Do in the Ministry of Power?
As Deputy Secretary, Bairwa will join the administrative structure of the Ministry of Power in New Delhi. The ministry is responsible for central government policy and administration relating to the electricity sector, including matters concerning power generation, transmission, distribution and sectoral development.
Its work also involves coordination with state governments and the implementation of government programmes relating to electricity. The ministry’s responsibilities cover a broad sector that is important for households, agriculture, industry and the wider economy.
Bairwa’s precise portfolio within the ministry has not been specified in the available appointment information. It would therefore be premature to attribute a particular scheme, division or policy responsibility to him at this stage.
His appointment under the Central Staffing Scheme brings an IAS officer with experience in several state-government departments into the Union government’s administrative framework. The new role will add central-level exposure to his experience in district governance, health, education and rural development.
Appointment Made Under the Central Staffing Scheme
The appointment has been made under the Central Staffing Scheme, which provides a mechanism for placing eligible officers from the All India Services and other participating services in central ministries and departments.
Such assignments allow officers with state-level administrative experience to work in the Union government. Officers appointed under the scheme serve in central posts for the tenure specified in their appointment orders, subject to the applicable conditions and directions.
In Bairwa’s case, the appointment order provides for a four-year tenure from the date he assumes charge, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The tenure will therefore begin when he formally joins the Ministry of Power, rather than automatically from the date on which the order was issued.
The Himachal Pradesh government has been directed to relieve him from his current responsibilities so that he can take up the central assignment. The order does not specify a separate date by which he must formally assume charge beyond the applicable joining instructions.
DoPT Sets Three-Week Deadline for Joining
The appointment order also refers to the prescribed timeline for joining a central deputation post. Citing directions of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet conveyed through a DoPT circular dated August 17, 2005, the order states that an officer should join the post within three weeks of the issue of the appointment order.
The instructions are intended to ensure that officers take up their central assignments within the stipulated period. The order also warns that failure to join within the specified timeframe may lead to the initiation of debarment proceedings under the Central Staffing Scheme.
Bairwa’s appointment order was issued on October 26, 2026, and the three-week joining requirement applies as stated in the order. His four-year tenure will begin from the date he formally assumes charge as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Power.
Hemraj Bairwa’s Move Marks a New Phase in His IAS Career
Bairwa’s appointment represents a transition from district administration in Himachal Pradesh to a central government role in New Delhi. His previous assignments have covered several areas of governance, including rural development, health and family welfare, higher education, revenue administration and district-level coordination.
His engineering education at IIT Kanpur and his experience across state government institutions form the background to the latest appointment. While the specific responsibilities he will handle within the Ministry of Power have not yet been detailed in the information available, the posting gives him an opportunity to gain experience in the Union government’s administration of the electricity sector.
