Post-Retirement Reshuffle: Two Senior Members to Oversee Administration and West Zone Amid Leadership Transition
After the retirement of Prabodh Seth (IRS-IT:1989) on June 30, 2025, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has officially reassigned his key responsibilities to two senior IRS officers in a move aimed at maintaining organizational continuity and oversight.
According to an official order issued on July 16, 2025, the CBDT has distributed the vacated portfolios among existing Members of the Board, ensuring smooth functioning of administrative and zonal operations.
Key Assignments:
Pankaj Kumar Mishra (IRS-IT:1989), currently serving as Member (Taxpayer Services & Reforms), has been given additional charge of Member (Administration). Under this role, he will also supervise:
Principal Director General of Income Tax (Human Resource Development)
Principal DGIT (Training)
DGIT (Vigilance)
Sanjay Bahadur (IRS-IT:1989), currently Member (Income Tax), has been entrusted with the additional responsibility for the West Zone, which includes high-revenue jurisdictions such as Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur.
Background:
Prabodh Seth, who recently retired, served as Member (Administration) and oversaw several of the Board’s most crucial verticals, including:
Human Resource Development
Training
Vigilance
Oversight of the West Zone
Given the strategic and economic importance of the West Zone—home to India’s financial capital and major tax jurisdictions—the CBDT acted swiftly to redistribute leadership duties among senior officers with deep domain knowledge and cadre experience.
Ensuring Stability and Continuity
Both Mishra and Bahadur belong to the 1989 batch of the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) and bring decades of administrative and operational expertise. The portfolio reassignment comes at a pivotal time, as the CBDT continues to focus on digital tax reforms, compliance monitoring, and capacity building.
This internal reshuffle underscores the Board’s commitment to leadership continuity, especially in key policy and taxpayer-facing areas.
