Rachna Shah Given Additional Charge of DARPG and Pensioners’ Welfare After Repatriation of Incumbent
The Government of India has issued a detailed administrative order confirming a temporary reassignment of responsibilities at the senior-most level of the central bureaucracy. As per the approval granted by the Competent Authority, Ms. Rachna Shah, IAS officer of the 1991 batch from the Kerala cadre, has been entrusted with the additional charge of Secretary for both the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) and the Department of Pensions & Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW).
Ms. Shah currently serves as the Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), where she oversees crucial human-resource management policies of the Central Government, recruitment systems, cadre administration, and civil services reforms. Owing to her seniority, administrative expertise, and ongoing leadership role within DoPT, she has been selected to take on the expanded set of responsibilities.
This additional charge has been assigned following the repatriation of the previous incumbent, creating a temporary vacancy at the helm of both DARPG and DoPPW. To ensure that the continuity of governance reforms, grievance redressal mechanisms, and pension-related policy work remains uninterrupted, Ms. Shah will oversee these departments until a regular full-time Secretary is appointed or until further orders are issued, whichever occurs earlier.
The decision underscores the government’s practice of placing experienced and trusted officers in key roles during transitional phases, thereby safeguarding the smooth functioning of vital administrative departments that directly influence citizen services and the welfare of millions of pensioners across the country.
