Modi govt likely to undergo bureaucratic overhaul with top posts falling vacant

These officials are expected to act as the 'brain' of the Modi 3.0 government.

In its third term, the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been witnessing a major overhaul in the top echelons of central administration at the levels of secretaries and Directors General.

In a major development on Thursday, IPS officer Nalin Prabhat has been named the special director general (SDG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The Ministry of Home Affairs in an order announced his appointment as SDG and DGP effective from October 1, 2024, following the clearance of his inter-cadre deputation from Andhra Pradesh to the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory) cadre by the Cabinet Appointment Committee on Wednesday (Aug 14).

As a result, the Centre will need to find a new DG for NSG too. The order released on Wednesday, as quoted by News18, stated: “Curtailment of tenure of Nalin Prabhat, IPS (AP:92) as Director General, National Security Guard (NSG). Inter-cadre deputation of Nalin Prabhat, IPS (AP:92) from Andhra Pradesh to AGMUT Cadre, initially for a period of three years from the date of joining the AGMUT cadre or until further orders, whichever is earlier, in relaxation of inter-cadre deputation guidelines.”

Prabhat will become the DGP upon R R Swain's retirement on September 30.

According to News18, these officials are expected to act as the “brain” of the government. However, to aid the Centre, many such posts of secretaries and DGs need to be filled. The News18 report stated that after the appointment of a new Cabinet Secretary, the post of Finance Secretary will fall vacant. In that case, a new official will be required to oversee the Finance Ministry. Finance Secretary TV Somanathan will become the Cabinet Secretary next month. The Cabinet Secretary is the senior-most officer of the government and works closely with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Also, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which directly reports to the PMO, does not have a secretary. The current Union Home Secretary, Ajay Bhalla, also holds the charge of DoPT.

According to News18, the Centre will need to appoint a new Culture Secretary. Govind Mohan, the current Culture Secretary, will be moving to the position of Home Secretary. Additionally, Health Secretary Apurva Chandra will retire next month.

Apart from these three secretary-level transfers, Directors General of the forces need to be also appointed. Security forces such as CISF and BSF are now operating without permanent DGs. The additional charges are held by DG CRPF Anish Dayal of CISF and DG SSB Daljit Chowdhary of BSF.