Sudhansh Pant has become the chief secretary of Rajasthan after repatriation from centre. He will also hold charge of chairman Rajasthan State Mines and Minerals Limited (RSMML) till further orders.
Sudhansh Pant was relieved impromptu on Saturday from centre where he was serving as secretary, health and family welfare department.
A 1991 batch officer, Sudhansh Pant has a good three years of service left with his retirement scheduled in February 2027.
Pant has taken over from Usha Sharma, who is 1985 batch IAS officer. She was on extension of six month which ended today. Pant superseded six officers who are senior to him. Former chief secretary Niranjan Arya, a 1989 batch officer, had superseded 10 officers on his way to assume the top job.
Subodh Agarwal is the senior most IAS in the list. He is 1988 batch officer. Second in the list is V Srinivas, a 1989 batch officer serving as secretary administrative reforms and public grievances in centre. Then Shubhra Singh and Rajeshwar Singh are there, both 1989 batch officers serving in home cadre. Shubhra Singh is serving as additional chief secretary medical and health while Rajeshwar Singh is serving as chairman revenue board. Another 1989 batch officer Rohit Kumar Singh is on central deputation serving as secretary consumer affairs. Sanjay Malhotra, a 1990 batch officer is also senior to Sudhansh Pant. But he is also on central deputation serving as revenue secretary in the union finance ministry. Now officers like Subodh Agarwal and Shubhra Singh who are currently serving in secretariat may have to move out of secretariat being senior to the chief secretary.
Pant had gone on central deputation in October 2022 as officer of special duty to ministry of port shipping and waterways. Later he became secretary in the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways.
From ministry of ports, shipping and waterways, Pant moved to ministry of health and family welfare as officer on special duty and later he became secretary in the ministry in August 1, 2023. Since then he has been serving as the chief of health ministry.
Who is Sudhansh Pant?
Sudhansh Pant is an upright, honest and result oriented officer. He had been successful in cadre postings as well as on deputation.
On central deputation, he has also worked as joint secretary in pharmaceutical department and in health minsitry at the same level.
His importance and competence can be gauged from that fact that the central government had requested Rajasthan government to allow Pant to work in health ministry on temporary basis for two months at the time of Covid-19.
At home cadre, he has been popular as well as efficient bureaucrat. He worked as additional chief secretary public health and engineering department and principal secretary to forest and environment.
Among other important portfolios, he had been collector to four districts including Jaipur besides holding post of commissioner Jaipur Development Authority and secretary local self governance.
With a career spanning 32 years, Pant had been important positions irrespective of party in power.
What it means, Pant at the helm
The newly elected BJP government has 20 first time ministers including chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. The government will need an officer like Sudhansh Pant to lead the bureaucracy and governance. His vision and skills will help Rajasthan to enter the next trajectory of growth. The central BJP leadership gave a deep thought on appointing new chief secretary. It was expected that the new chief secretary will come from the centre as the chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma is not an experienced hand at governance.
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