The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has relieved the private secretary and three additional secretaries of their duties from the office of Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav. The development comes as part of a series of orders, issued dated July 3 by Vibhuti Paniyar, under secretary to the Government of India. The exact reason behind the development remains unknown.
All three members have been a part of Yadav’s office for multiple years now.
The orders, which HT has seen, state PS to the minister, Amar Singh an IRS-IT officer of the 2010 batch has been repatriated to his parent cadre, the Department of Revenue, on ‘administrative ground’ and has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect.
Singh was also PS to Yadav when the latter held charge as Labour minister from 2021 to 2024 and was reappointed as PS after Yadav took over as Environment minister following Lok Sabha elections 2024.
Additional PS, Shailesh Kumar Singh, of Central Secretariat Service (CSS) has also been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), with the provision of an ‘extended cooling off’.
The second additional PS, Ayush Saran has been ‘terminated’ with immediate effect. “Shri Ayush Saran is relieved off his duties immediately” the office order states.
{{/usCountry}}The second additional PS, Ayush Saran has been ‘terminated’ with immediate effect. “Shri Ayush Saran is relieved off his duties immediately” the office order states.
{{/usCountry}}Later on Tuesday, another order, dated July 3 emerged, wherein the service of Siddharth Yadav, additional private secretary was also terminated with immediate effect. The order did not specify a reason.
“In pursuance of Department of Personnel and Training’s O.M. No.23/1/2024-EO(MM-I) dated 3rd July, 2026 and with the approval of the Competent Authority, the appointment of Shri Siddharth Yadav as Assistant Private Secretary to the Hon’ble Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Shri Bhupender Yadav) is terminated with immediate effect. Shri Siddharth Yadav is relieved of his duties immediately..” it read.
A ministry official confirmed the order, but refused to comment further.
There was no immediate response regarding this development from the Ministry or the Minister’s office. The copy will be updated when a response is received.