New Delhi, June 22 (KNN) With the top-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected on Wednesday, Arun Kumar Panda has been appointed as Secretary in the ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises.

Arun Kumar Panda (IAS-batch 1984) has studied in New Delhi and Los Angeles; he completed his PhD from department of Economics, university of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA in the year 2002.

He has held several senior positions in the State Government of Orissa. He is at present the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health, government of India dealing with Drugs and food regulation in the government of India.

Presently, KK Jalan is the Secretary with the MSME Ministry.

According to an official statement, Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of "Arun Kumar Panda, lAS (OR 84), Additional Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare as Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the vacancy caused due to superannuation of the present incumbent Shri K.K.Jalan, lAS (HY 82) on 30.06.2017."

There has been reshuffle in other key Ministries and Departments as well.

Subhash C Garg, executive director at the World Bank, will be the new department of economic affairs secretary. The post was vacant after the retirement of Shaktikanta Das.

Aruna Sundararajan will be the new telecom secretary. She is at present secretary in the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY). Ajay Prakash Sawhney will be the new MeitY secretary in place of Sundararajan.

Ajay Kumar Bhalla will be new power secretary. He is at present director-general of foreign trade. Bhalla, a 1984 batch IAS officer, will take over the new charge from P K Pujari, who retires on June 30.

Urban Development Secretary Rajiv Gauba will be next home secretary. He will succeed Rajiv Mehrishi, who completes his term on August 30.

A total of 16 secretaries have been appointed to various central government departments. The government has also changed portfolios of a few secretaries.

Durga Shanker Mishra will replace Gauba as urban development secretary. He is additional secretary in the same ministry. 

Culture Secretary N K Sinha will be new information and broadcasting secretary in place of Ajay Mittal, who has been appointed as the DoPT secretary. Mittal will succeed B P Sharma who retires this month-end.

NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) chief Yudhvir Singh Malik has been appointed secretary of road, transport and highways. Deepak Kumar, director-general of Employee's State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), will be the new chairman of NHAI.

Food Processing Industries Secretary Avinash Kumar Srivastava will be the secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, in place of Jagdish Prasad Meena who has been appointed in his place.

New and Renewable Energy Secretary Rajeev Kapoor has been named secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals. Anand Kumar, managing director of the newly-created National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation, will replace Kapoor in the ministry of new and renewable energy.

Ravi Kant, a 1984 batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, will be the new shipping secretary. He has been appointed in place of Rajive Kumar, who has been recently sent back to Uttar Pradesh cadre before completion of his tenure. Kant is at present the additional secretary in the Department of Defence. 

Border Management Secretary Sanjeevanee Kutty has been appointed secretary, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare in the defence ministry. She will take over from Prabhudayal Meena, who retires on July 31. (KNN Bureau)