Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 31: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed former Jammu and Kashmir cadre IAS officer Rohit Kansal as Secretary, Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India (GoI).
A 1995 batch AGMUT cadre officer, Kansal replaces Chhattisgarh cadre IAS officer Shailesh Kumar Singh, who retired on March 31, 2026.
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Presently serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Textiles, Kansal has held several key assignments in Jammu and Kashmir, including Government spokesperson during the abrogation of Article 370, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, and Administrative Secretary in Power and Jal Shakti departments.
His appointment is significant as, after a long gap, an officer with extensive service in Jammu and Kashmir has been elevated to a Secretary-level post at the Centre.
Meanwhile, the ACC has also approved the in-situ upgradation of another former J&K cadre IAS officer Sarita Chauhan Chand as Additional Secretary in the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India.
She is currently serving as Joint Secretary in the same department, and her elevation has been granted as a personal measure by temporarily upgrading the post held by her.
Chauhan has formerly served as Commissioner Secretary Higher Education Department, VC Jammu Development Authority (JDA), DC Kathua and other key administrative assignments in Jammu and Kashmir.
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