Senior IAS officer Avinash Kumar has been appointed Chief Secretary of Jharkhand, following the retirement of Alka Tiwari. The state government issued a formal notification on Tuesday, September 30, confirming his appointment, reported by IANS. Kumar, a 1993-batch officer of the Jharkhand cadre, will also hold additional charge as Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister and Chief Resident Commissioner at Jharkhand Bhavan in New Delhi. His elevation comes after seniority adjustments in the state bureaucracy, with two officers ahead of him currently on Central deputation.
Administrative background
Before taking charge as the state’s top bureaucrat, Kumar served as Development Commissioner. He has also held key posts including Chairman and Managing Director of Jharkhand Energy Development Corporation Limited and Managing Director of Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited. On assuming office, Kumar met Chief Minister Hemant Soren in Ranchi on Tuesday evening. Officials said the Chief Minister emphasised the importance of accelerating administrative efficiency and ensuring timely implementation of welfare and development schemes.
Predecessor and transition
Kumar succeeds Alka Tiwari, a 1988-batch officer, who became Chief Secretary on November 1, 2024, and retired on September 30, 2025. During her tenure, Tiwari was noted for initiatives to streamline administrative processes and improve coordination across departments.
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Why Avinash Kumar was chosen
Following Tiwari’s retirement, the top contender for the post was Shailesh Kumar Singh of the 1991 batch, currently serving as Secretary in the Union Rural Development Ministry. Next in line was 1992-batch officer Nidhi Khare, also on Central deputation. With both unavailable, the state government turned to Avinash Kumar, who was third in the seniority list. Other senior officers, including 1995-batch officers Ajay Kumar Singh, Satyendra Singh and Nitin Madan Kulkarni, were also considered but the government decided in Kumar’s favour.
Interim arrangements
Ajay Kumar Singh, currently Additional Chief Secretary of the Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Department, has been given additional charge of Development Commissioner until further orders. The arrangement is meant to ensure administrative continuity.
