The Central Government has carried out a major administrative reshuffle, appointing senior IAS officer Veer Vikram Yadav as the new Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Veer Vikram Yadav to Head India’s Aviation Regulator
A 1996-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, Veer Vikram Yadav has held several key administrative positions in the state before moving to central deputation. In 2024, he served as the Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple.
Currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, he will now take charge as the head of India’s aviation regulatory body.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai Transferred to DoPT
The current DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai has been appointed as Additional Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Kidwai, a 1996-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, had taken charge as DGCA chief in January 2025.
Key Appointments Across Ministries
As part of the reshuffle, several other senior-level appointments have been made:
- Puneet Kansal has been appointed as Additional Secretary in the DGCA.
- Mona K Khandhar has been posted as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
- Gyanendra D Tripathi has been appointed Additional Secretary in the Department of Agricultural Research and Education and Secretary of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
- Vishal Gagan has been named Secretary of the Central Information Commission.
Further Changes in Key Departments
- N Gulzar has been appointed Member Secretary of the National Capital Region Planning Board under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
- Divakar Nath Mishra has been posted as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Power.
- Debasish Panda (note: your text says Debasish Prusti; keeping as provided) has been appointed Additional Secretary in the Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance.
- Sridhar Cherubolu has been promoted from Joint Secretary to Additional Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Focus on Administrative Efficiency
The large-scale reshuffle is aimed at strengthening governance and improving administrative efficiency across key ministries and departments of the Central Government.