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With five senior IAS officers set for retirement in five months, UP may see top-level reshuffle
Those scheduled to retire include senior IAS officer and chairman, Board of Revenue, Archana Agarwal of the 1990 batch, who will superannuate on September 30, 2026. Deepak Kumar, also from the 1990 batch and second on the IAS seniority list after chief secretary Shashi Prakash Goyal, is next in line. Kumar is due to retire on October 31, 2026.
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Uttar Pradesh’s corridors of power may witness a top-level administrative reshuffle as five senior-most IAS officers of the state cadre, including one on deputation to the Centre, occupying key positions are set to retire within the next five months.
Those scheduled to retire include senior IAS officer and chairman, Board of Revenue, Archana Agarwal of the 1990 batch, who will superannuate on September 30, 2026. Deepak Kumar, also from the 1990 batch and second on the IAS seniority list after chief secretary Shashi Prakash Goyal, is next in line. Kumar is due to retire on October 31, 2026.
Amit Kumar Ghosh, an IAS officer of 1994 batch of UP IAS cadre is set to retire on December 31, 2026.
Goyal, a 1989-batch officer and the senior-most officer of the UP IAS cadre, is due to retire in January 2027. Besides the officers posted in the state, another senior IAS officer of the UP cadre, serving as secretary, heavy industries with the Union government, is also due to retire next month.
Interestingly, both Agarwal and Kumar hold multiple key positions that will have to be filled following their retirement. Agarwal, besides serving as chairman, Board of Revenue, is also additional chief secretary, transport.
Kumar is agriculture production commissioner as well as infrastructure and industrial development commissioner, additional chief secretary, finance, Institutional Finance and Externally Aided Projects, chairman, UPEIDA, and additional chief secretary, civil aviation. He also holds charge as project director, UP DASP.
The question now is whether the state government will seek an extension for any of these officers. The government is preparing to hold a ground-breaking ceremony to take forward investment proposals, adding significance to the continuity of senior officers handling key departments.
A senior officer pointed out that no officer other than the chief secretary had been given an extension in the past. Much, however, could depend on chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who may consider seeking an extension for Kumar or assigning him a post-retirement position, the officer said.
With elections to the state legislative assembly due in early 2027, chief secretary Goyal could be considered for an extension, the officer added.
