A minor reshuffle has been effected in the Prime Minister’s Office with senior IFS officer Vikram Misri being made private secretary to the Prime Minister, marking a distinction for him as he had served in the same capacity during the tenure of I.K. Gujral.
The 1989-batch officer will succeed fellow IFS officer Jaideep Sarkar, who has been posted as ambassador to Israel, sources said here on Wednesday.
Mr Misri joined the PMO as joint secretary in March after a brief stint in Munich as India’s consul-general. Prior to his assignment in Munich, he was India’s deputy high commissioner in Lanka.
He was director to the external affairs minister during the tenure of Pranab Mukherjee, prior to his posting to Colombo in 2008.
This is the second stint of Mr Misri in the PMO as he had earlier served as private secretary to the Prime Minister during the tenure of I.K. Gujral in 1997.
His place as the joint secretary will be taken by Jawed Ashraf, another IFS officer of 1991 batch.
Mr Ashraf is currently joint secretary in the external affairs ministry handling Americas division.
In another change, Anu Garg, 1991-batch IAS officer from Orissa cadre, has been made joint secretary to succeed L.K. Atheeq, the same batch officer who is going for an assignment with the World Bank, the sources said. Ms Garg is at present joint secretary in the ministry of health and family welfare.