New Delhi: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed Prakash Rajpurohit, a 2010-batch Indian Administrative Service officer belonging to the Rajasthan cadre, as Deputy Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India. This decision forms part of an extensive bureaucratic exercise that cleared 27 joint secretary and joint secretary-equivalent positions across central ministries and autonomous organisations. The order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training confirms that Rajpurohit’s tenure will continue until 8 April 2030.
The appointment fills a key vacancy in the Election Commission of India at a time when the institution continues to oversee electoral roll management and related technological systems. Rajpurohit’s selection brings an officer with experience in defence production, economic affairs and state-level administration into one of the Commission’s senior operational roles.
Background of the Vacancy and Previous Deputy Election Commissioner
The post became available following the premature repatriation of Sanjay Kumar, who had been serving as Deputy Election Commissioner in charge of the electoral roll and information technology divisions. Kumar occupied the position from August 2024 until August 2026. At that point he was sent back to his parent cadre and later posted in the Delhi government.
During his tenure Kumar had signed the Election Commission of India’s order dated 24 June 2025 that initiated the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls nationwide. The functioning of the IT division under his charge had earlier featured in internal communications between Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. One of the issues specifically noted by the commissioners was the decision taken in July to remove Kumar from overall responsibility for the IT division.
Profile of Prakash Rajpurohit
Prakash Rajpurohit is a 2010-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre. Immediately before this appointment he had been working as Joint Secretary in the Department of Defence Production under the Ministry of Defence since May 2026. Earlier in his central deputation he served as Director in the Department of Economic Affairs, where his responsibilities included international investment treaties.
At the state level he held several important field and administrative assignments in Rajasthan. These included the position of District Collector of Ajmer and the role of Commissioner of Commercial Taxes. His combined experience in district administration, tax administration, economic policy and defence production equips him for the complex operational and technological responsibilities attached to the Deputy Election Commissioner’s office.
Details of the 27 Appointments by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet cleared a total of 27 officers drawn from the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Revenue Service, Indian Telecom Service, Indian Statistical Service, Indian Railway Personnel Service, Indian Economic Service and other central services. The postings cover a wide institutional spectrum ranging from the Election Commission and the National Testing Agency to the National Health Authority, the Central Vigilance Commission and several line ministries.
This large-scale exercise reflects the continuous process of cadre management and the placement of officers with relevant domain knowledge in positions that require both administrative experience and specialised understanding.
Specific Postings Across Ministries and Organisations
In the Ministry of Home Affairs four officers have been appointed at the joint secretary level. They are Ravi Shankar, a 2007-batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre; Chittaranjan Dash, a 1999-batch Indian Revenue Service officer; P. Manoj Kumar, a 1998-batch Indian Statistical Service officer; and Abhishek Bhagotia, a 2007-batch IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
The National Testing Agency has received Vivek Khare, a 1996-batch Indian Telecom Service officer, as Joint Secretary. His overall tenure is scheduled to run until 2 December 2029. With Khare’s arrival the agency now has four joint secretaries appointed since 16 May. The other three officers are Anshuman Sharma, Anuja Bapat and Ruchita Vij. These appointments form part of the National Testing Agency’s ongoing restructuring. The expansion follows the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan Committee of October 2024, which had emphasised the need to strengthen the agency’s permanent manpower in order to improve accountability. The government subsequently created 16 new posts to support this objective.
In the health sector Mohammed Y. Safirulla K. and Ritu Sharma have been appointed Joint Secretaries in the Department of Health and Family Welfare. Varnali Deka, a 2009-batch IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, has been named Joint Secretary in the National Health Authority. Ashish Madhaorao has been appointed Additional Chief Executive Officer at the joint secretary level in the same organisation.
Additional appointments include Nikhil Varma as Additional Director General of Foreign Trade in Delhi, Tanvi Sundriyal, a 2010-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and Inderjeet Singh, a 2010-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Culture. Navin Agarwal, a 1997-batch Indian Railway Personnel Service officer, has been posted as Joint Secretary in the Department of Legal Affairs.
Further postings place Tamboli Ayyaj Fakirbhai as Executive Director at the joint secretary level in the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India and Rajesh Malik as Executive Director of the Food Corporation of India. Brijesh Pandey has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Capital Development, while M. Ramachandrudu takes charge as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Minority Affairs. Sonia Pant, a 2001-batch Indian Economic Service officer, becomes Adviser at the joint secretary level in NITI Aayog.
Nitin Kumar has been named Additional Secretary at the joint secretary level in the Central Vigilance Commission. C. Muruganas has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and Rajneesh Kumar Tomar becomes Chief Executive Officer of National Highways Logistics Management Limited. Nishtha Tiwari has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities under the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment.
In the urban development and water resources domain Manisha Trighatia has been named Joint Secretary in the Department of Urban Development. Avinash Jain takes charge as Joint Secretary in the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, while Pawan Kumar has been appointed Joint Secretary in the National River Conservation Directorate. Anita Shah Akella moves to the National Commission for Women as Joint Secretary.
Related Orders and Additional Appointments
In a separate order dated 9 October 2026 the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved a proposal from the Department of Higher Education for the premature repatriation of Govind Jaiswal, who had been serving as Joint Secretary in that department. Jaiswal is a 2007-batch IAS officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories cadre and will return to his parent cadre.
Implications for the Election Commission of India
Rajpurohit’s appointment provides the Election Commission of India with a Deputy Election Commissioner whose tenure extends several years into the future. The relatively long fixed term until April 2030 is expected to offer continuity in the oversight of electoral roll and information technology functions that had earlier seen a change in leadership. His prior exposure to both policy formulation at the central level and operational administration at the district level may assist in addressing the practical challenges that arise during large-scale electoral exercises.
The broader set of 27 appointments simultaneously strengthens several other institutions that play important roles in governance, ranging from testing integrity and health delivery to vigilance, infrastructure and social welfare. The systematic allocation of experienced officers across these organisations underscores the government’s focus on matching institutional requirements with available administrative talent.
As the new Deputy Election Commissioner assumes charge, the Election Commission of India continues its work on electoral systems and processes. The detailed list of officers and their new assignments, as notified by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, completes one of the more comprehensive bureaucratic exercises of recent months and places a wide range of specialised experience at the disposal of key public institutions.
FAQs
1. Who is Prakash Rajpurohit and what position has he been appointed to?
Prakash Rajpurohit is a 2010-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Rajasthan cadre. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed him as Deputy Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India. Before this role he was serving as Joint Secretary in the Department of Defence Production under the Ministry of Defence since May 2026. His earlier postings include Director in the Department of Economic Affairs (handling international investment treaties) and key state-level roles in Rajasthan such as District Collector of Ajmer and Commissioner of Commercial Taxes.
2. Why did the vacancy for Deputy Election Commissioner arise and who was the previous incumbent?
The vacancy was created by the premature repatriation of Sanjay Kumar, who had served as Deputy Election Commissioner in charge of the electoral roll and information technology divisions from August 2024 until August 2026. Kumar was sent back to his parent cadre and later posted in the Delhi government. During his tenure he signed the Election Commission of India’s order dated 24 June 2025 initiating the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Internal communications from Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had earlier raised concerns about the functioning of the IT division, including the decision in July to remove Kumar from charge of that division.
3. What is the tenure of Prakash Rajpurohit as Deputy Election Commissioner?
According to the Department of Personnel and Training order, Prakash Rajpurohit has been appointed as Deputy Election Commissioner with tenure extending until 8 April 2030. This fixed outer limit provides a longer period of continuity compared with the previous incumbent’s term, which ended prematurely.
4. How many appointments did the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet clear in this reshuffle and which major organisations are covered?
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved 27 joint secretary and joint secretary-equivalent appointments. These cover a wide range of institutions including the Election Commission of India, the National Testing Agency, the National Health Authority, the Central Vigilance Commission, the National Commission for Women, NITI Aayog, and several ministries such as Home Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, Corporate Affairs, Culture, Road Transport and Highways, Urban Development, Water Resources, and Minority Affairs.
5. What are some of the other notable appointments made in the same bureaucratic reshuffle?
Among the other appointments, Vivek Khare (1996-batch Indian Telecom Service) has been named Joint Secretary at the National Testing Agency with tenure until 2 December 2029; this brings the number of joint secretaries at the agency to four since 16 May (alongside Anshuman Sharma, Anuja Bapat and Ruchita Vij) as part of restructuring recommended by the October 2024 Radhakrishnan Committee. Varnali Deka (2009-batch IAS, Assam-Meghalaya cadre) becomes Joint Secretary in the National Health Authority. Four officers—Ravi Shankar, Chittaranjan Dash, P. Manoj Kumar and Abhishek Bhagotia—have been appointed Joint Secretaries in the Ministry of Home Affairs. Additional postings include Tanvi Sundriyal as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Inderjeet Singh as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Sonia Pant as Adviser in NITI Aayog, and Nitin Kumar as Additional Secretary in the Central Vigilance Commission. In a separate order dated 9 October 2026, Govind Jaiswal (2007-batch IAS, AGMUT cadre) was prematurely repatriated from the Department of Higher Education to his parent cadre.
