Full Breakdown
Major Bureaucratic Reshuffle Places Prakash Rajpurohit as Deputy Election Commissioner
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Appointment Details
Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Prakash Rajpurohit (2010 batch, Rajasthan cadre) has been appointed Deputy Election Commissioner, replacing Sanjay Kumar. The Personnel Ministry order sets his tenure to run until April 8, 2030. Prior to this posting, Rajpurohit served as Joint Secretary in the Department of Defence Production, as Director in the Department of Economic Affairs (handling international investment treaties), and held district-level posts in Rajasthan, including Collector of Ajmer and Commissioner of Commercial Taxes.
Wider Reshuffle Overview
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) cleared 27 civil-servant appointments at joint-secretary level or equivalent across multiple ministries and agencies. Highlights include:
- Vivek Khare, 1996-batch Indian Telecom Service officer, appointed Joint Secretary, National Testing Agency (NTA).
- Joint Secretary postings in the Ministry of Home Affairs: Ravi Shankar (IAS, Gujarat), Chittaranjan Dash (IRS), P. Manoj Kumar (ISS), Abhishek Bhagotia (IAS, Assam-Meghalaya).
- Joint Secretary roles in Health and Family Welfare: Mohammed Y. Safirulla and Ritu Sharma.
- Joint Secretary, National Health Authority: Varnali Deka (2009 batch, Assam-Meghalaya cadre).
- Additional senior posts: Ashish Madhavrao More (Additional CEO, NHA), Nikhil Varma (Additional Director General, Foreign Trade), Tamboli Ayyaj Fakirbhai (Executive Director, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)), Rajesh Malik (Executive Director, Food Corporation of India), Navin Agarwal (Joint Secretary, Legal Affairs), Tanvi Sundriyal (Joint Secretary, Corporate Affairs), Inderjeet Singh (Joint Secretary, Culture), Sonia Pant (Adviser, NITI Aayog), Nitin Kumar (Additional Secretary, Central Vigilance Commission), C Muruganas (Joint Secretary, Road Transport and Highways), Rajneesh Kumar Tomar (CEO, National Highways Logistics Management Ltd), Nishtha Tiwari (CEO, Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities).
Timeline of Key Actions
- October 10, 2026 – The Centre announced Rajpurohit’s appointment as Deputy Election Commissioner as part of the reshuffle.
- October 9 – The ACC approved the Department of Higher Education’s proposal to repatriate Govind Jaiswal, Joint Secretary, to his parent cadre.
- May 16 – Four joint secretaries have been appointed to the NTA since this date, according to Hindustan Times.
Data & Statistics
- Total appointments cleared: 27 (ACC).
- Joint secretaries appointed to the NTA since May 16: 4.
- Rajpurohit’s tenure end date: April 8, 2030.
- Vivek Khare’s tenure as NTA Joint Secretary runs until December 2, 2029.
Background & Context
The Deputy Election Commissioner assists the Election Commission of India in administering elections and ensuring compliance with the Representation of the People Act. The ACC, chaired by the Prime Minister, reviews and approves senior bureaucratic postings to align administrative capacity with policy priorities. The current reshuffle follows recommendations of the October 2024 Radhakrishnan Committee, which urged strengthening permanent manpower in agencies such as the National Testing Agency.
Official Statements & Responses
The Personnel Ministry order formally recorded Rajpurohit’s appointment and tenure. The ACC’s clearance of 27 appointments was communicated through a press release citing the need to improve accountability and operational efficiency across the listed ministries and agencies.