Tamil Nadu Transfers 27 IAS Officers in Major Reshuffle; Dharmendra Yadav Gets Rural Development, Innocent Divya School Education
The Tamil Nadu Government has carried out a major bureaucratic reshuffle involving 27 IAS officers, bringing significant changes across the state administration, including Revenue Administration, School Education, Rural Development, municipal corporations, state-run enterprises and several other key departments.
Among the most notable changes, Dharmendra Pratap Yadav, who was serving as Chairman and Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Small Industries Corporation Limited (TANSI), has been appointed Principal Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj. At the same time, N. Muruganandham, Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Revenue Administration and Disaster Management, has been moved to TANSI as its new Chairman and Managing Director.
The reshuffle also brings a major change in the School Education Department. B. Chandramohan, who was serving as Additional Chief Secretary, School Education, has been shifted to the Revenue Administration and Disaster Management Department, while J. Innocent Divya, Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society (Co-optex), has been appointed Secretary, School Education.
Major Changes in Senior Secretariat Assignments
The latest orders make several important changes to the senior administrative structure of Tamil Nadu. The movement of officers across departments indicates a broad redistribution of responsibilities involving some of the state’s most important policy and implementation wings.
Dharmendra Pratap Yadav’s appointment as Principal Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, places him at the helm of a department responsible for a wide range of rural development programmes and grassroots governance initiatives. He replaces Prashant M. Wadnere in the department.
The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department has a direct role in implementing development schemes in rural areas, strengthening local governance through panchayati raj institutions and improving basic infrastructure and public services. Yadav’s move from the leadership of TANSI to this important administrative department therefore marks a significant shift in his responsibilities.
Innocent Divya Appointed Secretary, School Education
Another major appointment in the reshuffle is that of J. Innocent Divya, who has been moved from her position as Managing Director of Co-optex and appointed Secretary, School Education.
Innocent Divya is a well-known Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer who has previously served as District Collector of Nilgiris. Her experience in district administration and her tenure in the cooperative handloom sector now precede her move into one of the state’s most important public-facing departments.
As Secretary, School Education, she will oversee a department responsible for the administration and implementation of policies relating to school education across Tamil Nadu. The position involves coordination on educational programmes, institutional administration and policy execution across the state’s extensive school network.
She succeeds B. Chandramohan, whose transfer to Revenue Administration and Disaster Management is another key element of the reshuffle.
B. Chandramohan Moves to Revenue Administration
B. Chandramohan, who was Additional Chief Secretary, School Education, has been appointed Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Revenue Administration and Disaster Management.
The new assignment places him in charge of a department with responsibilities extending far beyond routine revenue administration. It plays a crucial role in disaster preparedness, emergency response, relief operations and rehabilitation, in addition to its conventional revenue-related functions.
The appointment comes as part of the broader restructuring of senior-level responsibilities in the Tamil Nadu bureaucracy. Chandramohan’s experience at the Additional Chief Secretary level will now be utilised in an area involving both administrative coordination and disaster management.
N. Muruganandham Moves from Revenue to TANSI
N. Muruganandham, who was serving as Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Revenue Administration and Disaster Management, has been transferred as Chairman and Managing Director of TANSI.
His move creates space for B. Chandramohan to take charge of Revenue Administration and Disaster Management, while bringing an experienced senior administrator to the leadership of the state-owned industrial corporation.
TANSI is an important state public-sector undertaking involved in the promotion and development of small-scale industries in Tamil Nadu. The organisation’s work connects with industrial development and support for small enterprises, making the CMD position an important one within the state’s public-sector framework.
Three Districts Get New Collectors
The reshuffle also extends to district administration, with new Collectors appointed in Virudhunagar, Perambalur and Tirupattur.
Sharanya Ari, who was serving as Collector of Perambalur, has been transferred and posted as Collector of Virudhunagar. She replaces N.O. Sukhaputra, who has been moved to the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board as Executive Director.
F. Abdul Razick, who was serving as Sub Collector, Ponneri, has been appointed Collector of Perambalur. The posting represents a move from a sub-divisional administrative role to the top district-level position.
In Tirupattur, V. Nallasivan, previously Sub Collector, Chengalpattu, has been appointed Collector. He succeeds G. Ravikumar, who has been transferred as Joint Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
These changes bring fresh administrative leadership to three districts and form an important part of the field-level component of the latest statewide reshuffle.
Changes in Municipal Administration
The orders also cover several important municipal and urban administration positions.
Veer Pratap Singh, who was Commissioner of the Tiruchi Corporation, has been transferred as Executive Director, SIPCOT. He will be replaced as Tiruchi Corporation Commissioner by N. Ponmani.
Meanwhile, A. Catherine Saranya has been shifted from SIPCOT and appointed Commissioner, Vellore Corporation.
Another important urban administration posting has gone to Thakare Shubham Dnyandeorao, who has been appointed Joint Commissioner (Health), Greater Chennai Corporation.
The appointments come against the backdrop of growing responsibilities for Tamil Nadu’s urban local bodies in areas such as infrastructure, sanitation, public health and civic service delivery.
More Changes Across State Departments and Corporations
The reshuffle covers several other important departments and state-run organisations.
R. Lilly has been appointed Secretary, Handlooms, Handicrafts, Textiles and Khadi, while E. Saravanavelraj has been posted as Commissioner, Stationery and Printing.
Ajay Yadav has been appointed Commissioner, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, taking charge of a department closely connected with the state’s public distribution and consumer protection mechanisms.
S. Sivarasu has been posted as Director, Milk Production and Dairy Development and will also function as Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Ltd.
T.N. Venkatesh has been appointed Principal Secretary and Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (TUFIDCO).
K.S. Kandasamy has been appointed Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Minerals Limited, while Kavitha Ramu has been given charge of the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation.
Dr K. Senthil Raj has been shifted as Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation. He will also continue to function as Director, Adi Dravidar Welfare.
Tourism, Transport and Commercial Taxes Also Affected
The reshuffle extends into the tourism, transport and taxation sectors as well.
Mr. Sunkara has been appointed Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, giving him responsibility for an organisation involved in promoting tourism and managing tourism-related activities in the state.
K. Sangeetha has been posted as Joint Commissioner (State Tax), Commercial Taxes, Coimbatore.
In the public transport sector, Dr V.P. Jeyaseelan has been appointed Managing Director, Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC). The position comes with responsibility for overseeing one of the major public transport organisations serving the Chennai metropolitan region.
HR&CE, Home and Excise Departments
The latest administrative exercise also includes changes in important departments dealing with religious institutions, internal administration and excise matters.
V. Rajaraman has been given charge of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, while T. Mohan has been posted to the Home, Prohibition and Excise Department.
These assignments add another layer to the wide-ranging reshuffle, which spans senior Secretariat positions, district administration, municipal corporations and state-owned enterprises.
A Wide-Ranging Administrative Reshuffle
The Tamil Nadu Government’s latest decision involves 27 IAS officers and touches several major areas of governance. From rural development and school education to revenue administration, disaster management, urban governance, public transport, tourism, taxation and state-owned corporations, the changes represent a substantial restructuring of responsibilities across the bureaucracy.
The movement of senior officers such as Dharmendra Pratap Yadav, N. Muruganandham, B. Chandramohan and Innocent Divya is particularly significant because their new assignments place them in departments with direct implications for public service delivery and policy implementation.
At the district level, the appointment of new Collectors in Virudhunagar, Perambalur and Tirupattur brings further changes to the field administration. Several other officers have simultaneously been moved to corporations and specialised departments, giving the reshuffle a broad administrative footprint.
The latest orders thus mark one of the more significant bureaucratic changes in Tamil Nadu’s administration, with senior officers being repositioned across both policy-making departments and operational organisations. The new assignments are expected to bring fresh administrative focus to their respective areas while ensuring continuity in the implementation of government programmes and public services.
