Sanjay Kothari appointed secy to new President, Ashok Malik press in-charge

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has cleared these appointments for an initial period of two years.

In a major bureaucratic reshuffle of 40 senior and mid-level officers, Indian Forest Services officer of Gujarat cadre Bharat Lal has been appointed joint secretary to President-elect Ram Nath Kovind.

Sanjay Kothari has been appointed secretary to President-elect Ram Nath Kovind. (PTI Photo)

Known to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lal earlier served as resident commissioner of Gujarat Bhawan in New Delhi. Ashok Malik, a well-known columnist, commentator, distinguished fellow at one of India’s leading think tanks, Observer Research Foundation, will be the press secretary to the new President.

The third major appointment in the office of the President was that of Sanjay Kothari, an lAS officer of 1978 batch of Haryana cadre and currently the chairman of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB). He was made secretary to the President-elect.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Modi approved these appointments to the office of the President for an initial period of two years.

Other appointments included that of Vasudha Mishra, who was managing director of NCDCI. She was appointed additional secretary, department of administrative reforms and public grievances in place of Usha Sharma, an lAS officer of 1985 batch of Rajasthan cadre. Sharma has been appointed as director general, Archaeological Survey of India, a post that was lying vacant after the retirement of Rakesh Tewari.