In a significant administrative move, the Gujarat state government on Thursday issued a series of promotion orders, elevating a total of 48 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers belonging to six different batches. The orders, issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), mark a major bureaucratic reshuffle, impacting officers from the 1996, 2001, 2010, 2013, 2017, and 2022 batches.
Senior Leadership Gets a Boost
The most senior promotions were for five officers from the 1996 batch, who have been elevated to the prestigious rank of Additional Chief Secretary (ACS). These senior bureaucrats have been assigned crucial portfolios. Rajiv Topno will now serve as ACS in the Health and Family Welfare Department. Mona Khandhar takes charge of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, while T Natarajan will lead the Finance Department. Mamta Verma has been promoted to ACS for the Industries and Mines Department, and Mukesh Kumar will head the Higher and Technical Education Department.
Furthermore, two officers from the 2001 batch, Arti Kanwar and Vijay Nehra, have been promoted to the rank of Principal Secretary. Kanwar will continue in her current role as the Chief Commissioner of State Tax. Nehra, who is on central deputation, will maintain his position as Joint Secretary in the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry.
Mid-Career and Young Officers Recognized
The promotion drive also recognized a large cohort of mid-career and younger IAS officers, ensuring career progression across various seniority levels.
Seven officers from the 2010 batch have been promoted to the Super Time Scale. They will continue in their existing posts. The promoted officers are Anand Patel, Sujeet Kumar, Narender Kumar Meena, B H Talati, K L Bachani, Tushar Bhatt, and Hardik Shah.
In the 2013 batch, a total of thirteen officers have been elevated to the Selection Grade. The list includes Stuti Charan, Manish Kumar, Kshipra Agre, Arun Mahesh Babu, Harshit Gosavi, Yogesh Nirgude, Amit Prakash Yadav, K S Vasava, R R Damor, R M Damor, N V Upadhyay, P B Pandya, and Prajeshkumar Rana.
New Responsibilities for Junior Batches
The promotions extended to the more recent batches as well. Eleven officers from the 2017 batch have been moved up to the Junior Administrative Grade. This group comprises Manish Gurwani, Swapnil Khare, Gurav Dinesh Ramesh, Mirant Parikh, Ganga Singh, Surabhi Gautam, Prashant Jilova, Milind Bapna, Vikalp Bhardwaj, A B Pandor, and B B Chaudhary.
Finally, the youngest officers to benefit are ten from the 2022 batch, who have been promoted to the Senior Time Scale. The promoted officers are Mehak Jain, Pratibha Dahiya, Vidyasagar, Vandana Meena, Hiren Barot, Rajesh Mourya, Swapnil Sisle, Omkar Shinde, Amol Awate, and Prateek Jain.
Implications for State Administration
This widespread promotion exercise is expected to bring fresh energy and motivation into the state's administrative machinery. By clearing career progression for officers across seniority levels, the government aims to ensure experienced leadership in key departments while also rewarding and retaining talented younger officers. Such periodic reshuffles are crucial for maintaining an efficient and dynamic bureaucracy capable of implementing state policies and development programs effectively.
