India appoints IAS Arunish Chawla as the new Revenue Secretary

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Department of Personnel and Training appointed Arunish Chawla as the new Revenue Secretary, Ministry of Finance, according to an official order on Wednesday, December 25.

Chawla is currently serving India as the Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. 

According to the order, Chawla will continue to hold his additional charge appointment of the Culture Secretary under the Ministry of Culture till a replacement or further orders are given.

“Shri Arunish Chawla, IAS (BH:92), Secretary. Department of Secretary. Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers as Secretary, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. He will continue to hold the additional charge of Secretary, Ministry of Culture till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders whicheverisearlier,” said the order. 

Who is Arunish Chawla?

The new Revenue Secretary, Arunish Chawla is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, 1992 batch from the Bihar cadre. Chawla was serving as the Pharmaceuticals Secretary under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers since November 1, 2023, until his Revenue Secretary appointment.

Chawla has had a long and distinguished career serving the country as the Additional Chief Secretary of Planning and Development. He was also the Secretary of the Bihar State Planning Board and Project Director of the Bihar Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Society. 

Chawla also led urban development efforts as the Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development and Housing as well as served as the Managing Director of Patna Metro Rail Corporation, according to the Public Affairs Forum of India. 

Chawla also gained international exposure as the Senior Economist at the Institute of Capacity Development of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, D.C., the United States of America. He was enrolled in that position for two years, starting in 2020. As of August 2024, he was also assigned the charge of the Secretary of the Ministry of Culture.

Now, Chawla will replace Ajay Seth, who was temporarily appointed as the Secretary of Revenue due to Sanjay Malhotra’s appointment as governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).