Centre Repatriates 2 IAS Officers: Deputy Election Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Returns to AGMUT, Ashish Chatterjee to Tamil Nadu
The Central Government has approved the premature repatriation of two senior IAS officers from central deputation to their respective parent cadres. The officers are Sanjay Kumar, a 2008-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre and currently serving as Deputy Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India, and Ashish Chatterjee, a 1999-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre who has been serving as Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Ministry of Steel.
The two decisions were cleared through separate orders issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in August 2026. While Kumar’s repatriation has been approved on personal grounds following a proposal from the Election Commission, Chatterjee’s return has been approved at the request of the Tamil Nadu government. Both officers will now return to their respective state or cadre administrations before the originally scheduled end of their central deputation.
Sanjay Kumar to Return to AGMUT Cadre
Sanjay Kumar, IAS (AGMUT:2008), has been prematurely repatriated from the Election Commission of India to his parent AGMUT cadre. Kumar is currently serving as Deputy Election Commissioner and was originally expected to continue in the Election Commission until January 26, 2027.
The decision to end his deputation early was taken after the Election Commission proposed his repatriation on personal grounds. The competent authority subsequently approved the proposal, and the DoPT issued the relevant order on August 24, 2026.
Kumar’s return will bring his central deputation to an early close after more than four years of service in central government and election-related assignments. His next posting in the AGMUT cadre will be decided by the competent authorities in accordance with the applicable administrative arrangements.
Joined Central Deputation in January 2022
Kumar began his central deputation journey on January 27, 2022, when he was appointed Deputy Secretary in the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) under the Ministry of Finance. His initial appointment was part of a five-year central deputation tenure.
He later moved to the Election Commission in August 2024. The officer was appointed Deputy Secretary at the Joint Secretary level for the remaining period of his approved central deputation, marking a shift from financial and asset management responsibilities to the country’s constitutional election machinery.
Kumar assumed charge as Deputy Election Commissioner in the Election Commission on August 6, 2024. Since then, he has been associated with the functioning of the ECI and its various administrative and electoral responsibilities at the national level.
With his premature repatriation now approved, Kumar will return to the AGMUT cadre, which covers the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories segment of the IAS.
Who Is IAS Sanjay Kumar?
A 2008-batch IAS officer, Sanjay Kumar has served in a variety of administrative positions during his career. His postings have included assignments at both the state and central levels, giving him experience across different areas of public administration.
Kumar holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from Delhi University and a Master’s degree in Political Science from Annamalai University. He also holds a postgraduate qualification in International Economic Development and Regional Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States.
Over the course of his career, Kumar has handled several important positions, including Director, Deputy Secretary, Secretary, Excise Commissioner, Commissioner, District Collector and Magistrate and Assistant Commissioner. He has also served as Secretary, Revenue in Goa, apart from his central government assignment in DIPAM.
His career has taken him through different administrative territories covered by the AGMUT cadre as well as several important central government responsibilities.
Four-Year Central Deputation Ends Early
Kumar’s central deputation began in early 2022 and was initially structured to continue for five years. His move to the Election Commission in 2024 extended his central role into the country’s electoral administration, with his tenure there linked to the remaining period of his approved deputation.
The original end date of the deputation was January 26, 2027. The latest DoPT order, however, means that Kumar will leave the ECI before that date and return to his parent cadre.
The repatriation is being made on personal grounds, according to the official decision, following the proposal submitted by the Election Commission. The order does not indicate any disciplinary action or adverse administrative reason behind the early return.
Ashish Chatterjee Also Returning to Parent Cadre
In a separate decision, the Central Government has approved the premature repatriation of Ashish Chatterjee, IAS (Tamil Nadu:1999), from the Ministry of Steel to his parent Tamil Nadu cadre. Chatterjee was serving as Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Ministry of Steel.
His repatriation was approved following a request from the Tamil Nadu government. A DoPT order issued on August 20, 2026, cleared his early return with an extended cooling-off period.
Chatterjee had assumed charge as Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Ministry of Steel on April 18, 2025. His tenure at the ministry therefore lasted for a little over a year before the decision was taken to repatriate him to Tamil Nadu.
Senior Administrative Experience Across State and Centre
Ashish Chatterjee is a 1999-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre and has held a wide range of senior positions during his administrative career. His experience covers state government departments, district administration, central ministries and public sector organisations.
Among the positions he has held are Principal Secretary, Commissioner, Managing Director of TRIFED, Joint Secretary, Private Secretary to a Minister of State, District Collector and Magistrate, Deputy Commissioner, Resident Commissioner, Joint Commissioner, Sub Collector and Assistant Collector.
His career reflects extensive exposure to both policy-level administration and field-level governance. His district assignments, state-level responsibilities and central government roles have given him experience across different layers of the administrative system.
Chatterjee’s Central Government Experience
Chatterjee has also held significant positions at the Centre. He has served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and has also served as Managing Director of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India, commonly known as TRIFED.
His experience has also extended to the boards of major public sector companies. He has served as a Government Director on the boards of organisations including the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), GAIL and IndianOil.
His assignment in the Ministry of Steel as Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser was another important central posting, placing him in a senior position involving policy, financial and administrative responsibilities within the ministry.
Two Separate Repatriation Decisions
Although the repatriation orders concern two senior IAS officers, the circumstances behind the decisions are different. Sanjay Kumar’s premature return to AGMUT follows a proposal from the Election Commission and has been approved on personal grounds, while Ashish Chatterjee’s repatriation follows a request from the Tamil Nadu government.
Both cases underline the administrative flexibility available for officers serving on central deputation. IAS officers are often moved between their parent cadres and the Centre depending on administrative requirements, cadre needs and, in certain cases, personal circumstances.
For Kumar, the immediate next step will be his return to the AGMUT cadre after his tenure at the Election Commission ends. For Chatterjee, the focus now shifts back to Tamil Nadu, where the state government will determine his next assignment after his return.
The latest DoPT decisions therefore mark the end of two significant central government assignments. Kumar leaves the Election Commission after serving as Deputy Election Commissioner, while Chatterjee returns to Tamil Nadu after holding the senior post of Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Ministry of Steel.
