Anuradha Thakur to succeed Ajay Seth as DEA Secretary

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has cleared a major bureaucratic reshuffle, including key changes in the Ministry of Finance, bringing new faces to key positions and ushering in a leadership transition at the heart of North Block.

Anuradha Thakur, a 1994-batch IAS Himachal Pradesh cadre (HP:94), has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance. She will take charge as Secretary, DEA after the superannuation of the current incumbent, Ajay Seth, IAS (KN:87), on June 30, 2025. Thakur is presently Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and brings considerable experience in economic administration.

In another crucial move, K Moses Chalai, a 1990-batch IAS officer of the Manipur cadre, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), Ministry of Finance. He currently serves as Secretary, Inter State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Further, Ashish Srivastava, IAS (MP:92), who is currently serving as Advisor in the Inter State Council Secretariat, Ministry of Home Affairs, will succeed Moses Chalai as the new Secretary of the Inter State Council Secretariat.

The reshuffle comes as part of a broader set of appointments cleared by the ACC. Among the other key changes:

Meeta R. Lochan (MH:90), Secretary, Youth Affairs, will be the new Secretary of the National Commission for Backward Classes.

Manoj Govil (MP:91), Secretary, Department of Expenditure, moves as Secretary (Coordination), Cabinet Secretariat. He will be succeeded at Expenditure by Vumlunmang Vualnam (MN:92), currently the Civil Aviation Secretary.

Vandana Gurnani (KN:91) moves from the Cabinet Secretariat to head the Ministry of Labour & Employment.

This large-scale reshuffle reflects the Centre’s efforts to align key economic ministries with officers who have diverse experience across sectors including corporate affairs, expenditure management, and intergovernmental coordination.

The changes will be implemented gradually over the next few months, coinciding with retirements and transitions across various departments.