Sri Vijaya Puram, July 24: Chief Secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, Chandra Bhushan Kumar, has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, as part of a major reshuffle of senior bureaucrats approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Kumar, a 1995-batch AGMUT cadre IAS officer, will succeed Vandana Gurnani upon her superannuation on July 31.
Kumar has been serving as the Chief Secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration since 2024. During his tenure, the Union Territory witnessed the rollout of several key infrastructure, governance and development initiatives, alongside continued emphasis on tourism, connectivity and ease of doing business.
His tenure also coincided with the Centre’s push to accelerate strategic and infrastructure projects in the Islands, including initiatives aimed at improving transport connectivity, urban infrastructure and public service delivery.
Before taking over as Chief Secretary, Kumar held several senior assignments in both the AGMUT cadre and the Government of India, spanning urban development, infrastructure and public administration.
As Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kumar will head the ministry responsible for labour policy, industrial relations, employment generation, social security and implementation of the country’s labour laws and labour codes.
The ACC order also announced the appointment of Keshav Chandra, another AGMUT cadre IAS officer, as Secretary, Ministry of Mines. Katikithala Srinivas has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, while Vineet Joshi will take over as Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Naresh Pal Gangwar has been appointed Secretary, Department of Higher Education.
Kumar’s elevation to the rank of Secretary to the Government of India marks another significant appointment for an AGMUT cadre officer and will necessitate the appointment of a new Chief Secretary for the Andaman and Nicobar Administration.
