Central government reshuffles top-level bureaucracy, Armane Giridhar Defense Secretary, Sanjay Malhotra appointed new Revenue Secretary

The central government has made reshuffles in the top-level bureaucracy on Wednesday. Under this, Road Transport and Highways Secretary Armane Giridhar has been made the new Defense Secretary. Giridhar, a 1988 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, has been currently posted as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Defense Department. In an order issued by the Ministry of Personnel, he said that he will take over as Secretary, Department of Defense after the retirement of Ajay Kumar on October 31. At the same time, Alka Upadhyay, chairperson of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), will be the new road and transport secretary in place of Giridhar. Apart from this, Sanjay Malhotra, Secretary in the Department of Financial Services, will be the new Revenue Secretary. At present, he has been appointed as OSD in the Revenue Department. He will take over as the secretary of the revenue department after Tarun Bajaj retires on November 30. Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner (Ministry of Home Affairs) Vivek Joshi has been appointed as the new Secretary, Department of Financial Services, replacing Malhotra.