1992-batch IAS officer Rajeev Verma appointed Delhi chief secy

Rajeev Verma, 58, is currently posted as the chief secretary in the Union Territory of Chandigarh and is likely to assume the new role from October 1.

The Union Home Ministry on Sunday appointed Rajeev Verma, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, as the new chief secretary of Delhi. Verma will replace the current chief secretary Dharmendra,who is set to retire at the end of this month.

The new chief secretary of Delhi has served various positions in both the Delhi as well as central administration.

Verma, 58, is currently posted as the chief secretary in the union territory of Chandigarh and is likely to assume the new role from October 1.

“With the approval of the competent authority, Rajeev Verma, IAS (AGMUT:1992) is hereby transferred from Chandigarh to Delhi and posted as chief secretary, GNCTD with effect from October 1, 2025 or from the date of joining whichever is later,” the order issued by Director (S) Anish Muraleedharan on September 28 stated.

The new chief secretary of Delhi has served various positions in both the Delhi as well as central administration. He was appointed as the adviser to Chandigarh administrator in April 2022 and later became the chief secretary on January 29, 2024.

Originally from Uttar Pradesh, Verma completed his graduation in computer science from Roorkee and also holds an MTech degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). He worked as the principal secretary and commissioner of finance in New Delhi (2018-2022) and principal commissioner Housing and Urban Affairs Delhi Development Authority (DDA) (2017-18).

He also served as the joint secretary of defence from 2013 to 2017. Earlier, he was the chairman and managing director, joint secretary of transport in Delhi from 2012 to 2013.

Dharmendra, the current chief secretary, is a 1989-batch IAS officer and was appointed as Delhi CS in August last year. He was appointed at a time when the bureaucracy had a strained relationship with the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi and several senior officers have had a run-in with the ministers over a range of issues such as alleged corruption cases and governance matters.

Over the last weeks of his tenure, there were speculations about an extension being granted. His predecessor, Naresh Kumar, was granted two extensions of six months and three months after he attained retirement on November 30, 2023.