Arunish Chawla Appointed as New Revenue Secretary in Finance Ministry

Arunish Chawla, a senior IAS officer of the 1992 batch from the Bihar cadre, has been appointed as the new Revenue Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. This follows the vacancy created after Sanjay Malhotra’s appointment as RBI Governor. Chawla will take charge from Ajay Seth, who had been handling the additional responsibility of Revenue Secretary since Malhotra’s appointment. The Cabinet’s appointments committee confirmed that Chawla will continue to hold the additional charge of the Ministry of Culture until a regular incumbent is appointed.

Key Appointments and Responsibilities

Chawla, currently serving as Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, will assume his new role ahead of the Budget presentation. With a distinguished career that includes positions like joint secretary in the Finance Ministry’s Expenditure Department and minister (economics) at the Indian Embassy in Washington, Chawla’s expertise in economics and public administration positions him well for implementing crucial reforms, including tax reforms and GST rationalization.

Previous Roles and Contributions

Chawla’s career has spanned various significant roles, including as the Additional Chief Secretary of Planning and Development in Bihar, where he also served as the Secretary of the Bihar State Planning Board and Project Director of the Bihar Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Society. Additionally, he contributed to urban development and served as the Managing Director of the Patna Metro Rail Corporation. His appointment comes with a focus on improving tax collection, digital transformation, and reviewing key fiscal policies.

Other Appointments

The Appointments Committee also made several other changes, including:

• Amit Agrawal, CEO of UIDAI, is appointed as Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals.
• Vineet Joshi, the Chief Secretary of Manipur, is the new Higher Education Secretary.
• Neelam Shammi Rao has been appointed as the Textiles Secretary.
• Rachna Shah, former Textiles Secretary, will now lead the Department of Personnel and Training.
• Sanjay Sethi will take over as the Secretary of the National Commission for Minorities.

Summary of the news

Why in News	Key Points
Arunish Chawla appointed as Revenue Secretary in the Ministry of Finance	– Arunish Chawla, a 1992-batch IAS officer from Bihar, replaces Ajay Seth as Revenue Secretary. – Chawla was serving as Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. – Chawla will continue holding the additional charge of Secretary, Ministry of Culture.
Appointments and Other Changes	– Amit Agrawal (CEO, UIDAI) appointed as Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals. – Vineet Joshi (Manipur Chief Secretary) appointed Secretary, Department of Higher Education. – Rachna Shah appointed Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training. – Neelam Shammi Rao appointed Textiles Secretary. – Sanjay Sethi appointed Secretary, National Commission for Minorities.
Notable Positions Held by Arunish Chawla	– Former Joint Secretary, Expenditure Department, Ministry of Finance. – Former Minister (Economics) at the Indian Embassy in the U.S. – Former Additional Chief Secretary for Planning and Development in Bihar. – Former Managing Director, Patna Metro Rail Corporation.
Key Responsibilities as Revenue Secretary	– Oversee Income Tax Act review, GST rationalization, and Customs duty review. – Focus on improving tax collection and digital transformation in revenue management.
Educational Background	– Chawla holds a Postgraduate degree and PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics.