The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved Dutt's appointment as the CMD of Air India in the rank and pay of an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

 

At present, Dutt, a 1993 batch IAS officer, is based in his UT cadre. He succeeds Rajiv Bansal, who is currently the Union Civil Aviation Secretary.

 

The appointment comes before the likely take-over of the airline's management by the Tata Group under the Centre's divestment programme.

 

Presently, Tata Group has entered into a share purchase agreement with the government for buying out the latter's stake in Air India, Air India Express and AISATS.

 

Tata Sons' subsidiary Talace emerged as the highest bidder for the national carrier under the divestment process.

 

The ACC has also approved the appointment of 13 officers and also granted one year extension to the Additional Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat Ashutosh Jindal.

 

An IAS officer of Tripura cadre of 1995 batch, Jindal was to retire in February 16, 2022.

 

Among the other officials, Indian Forest Service officer BV Umadevi who was Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has been appointed as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs while IAS officer Shashank Goel as appointed as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

 

Shailesh Kumar Singh has been appointed as Additional Secretary and Development Commissioner in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises whereas Manish Kumar Gupta has been appointed as Vice Chairman of the Delhi Development Authority in Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in the rank of Additional Secretary. Gupta was Principal Commissioner in DDA.

 

Chanchal Kumar who is working in his home cadre Bihar, has been appointed as Managing Director of National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd in Ministry of Road Transport & Highways in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary while Ashish Srivastava, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development has been made Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare by cancelling the previous order dated January 4 regarding his appointment as Additional Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat.

 

Hari Ranjan Rao, Additional Secretary, Department of Telecommunications has been appointed as Administrator of Universal Service Obligation Fund under the Department of Telecommunications in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary while VL Kantha Rao, Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisition) in the Ministry of Defence was appointed as Additional Secretary, Department of Telecommunications.

 

Additional Secretary Pankaj Agrawal in the Cabinet Secretariat has become Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisition) in the Ministry of Defence.

 

The ACC also approved the appointment of Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Additional Secretary in the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education as ADirector General of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary.

 

Naresh Pal Gangwar, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has been appointed as Additional Secretary in the same Ministry after the transfer of BV Umadevi to the MHA.