Atish Chandra, a 1994-batch IAS officer from the Bihar cadre and current Special Secretary in the PMO, has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. Holding the rank of Secretary, he is slated to take over the department fully rewrite the headlines also on February 28, 2026, when current Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi (1989 batch, UP cadre) retires. In a significant move, the government has granted Chandra considerable freedom to handpick his team, signaling a serious commitment to agricultural reform. This autonomy allows him to bring in officers who align with the government's ambitious agenda to boost productivity, farmer incomes, and market transparency. Chandra’s team is expected to include experts who can navigate complex policies, adopt modern tech, and improve center-state coordination. This appointment is seen as a vote of confidence in Chandra’s vision, positioning him to lead major initiatives in supply chain innovation, crop diversification, and sustainable practices.
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