Sudhansh Pant named new Union Health Secretary, Chanchal Kumar Aviation Secretary

New Delhi: Senior IAS officer Sudhansh Pant has been named as the new Union Health Secretary as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre on Tuesday.

Pant, a 1991-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Rajasthan cadre, is currently the Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

He has been appointed as the Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Health and Family Welfare.

The officer will take over as Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare upon retirement of Rajesh Bhushan on July 31 this year, according to an order issued by the Personnel Ministry.

Chanchal Kumar, Managing Director of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd., has been named as the new Civil Aviation Secretary.

"The officer will join as Officer on Special Duty, Ministry of Civil Aviation in the rank and pay of Secretary to the government of India on 01.08.2023 and take over as Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation vice Shri Rajiv Bansal, lAS (NL:88) upon his superannuation on 31.08.2023," the order stated.

A total of 15 senior bureaucrats have been appointed in different central government departments as part of Tuesday's reshuffle.