Mumbai, Nov. 28 (LatestNewsX) – The Maharashtra government named Rajesh Agarwal, a 1989 batch IAS officer, as the state’s chief secretary on Friday.
Agarwal, who just returned from a stint in Delhi, will now serve as the additional chief secretary in charge of administrative reforms and good governance in the state’s general administration. His appointment is expected to last for one year.
He will take over from Rajesh Kumar, whose current tenure as chief secretary – which began on 30 June – ends on 30 November after a three‑month extension. Kumar, who was originally slated to retire on 30 September, received a one‑month extension.
With Agarwal’s elevation, Iqbal Chahal, who has been set to become the next additional chief secretary of the Home Department, will not get the post as he is slated to retire in January 2026. Prior to returning to Maharashtra, Chahal held senior positions such as Secretary of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Secretary of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship, Additional Chief Secretary, and Financial Advisor in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. His earlier career also included roles as Director General of Training at the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and Joint Secretary in the Department of Financial Services.
Agarwal himself has a long record in Maharashtra, having served as principal secretary of the IT department among other key posts. After earning a B.Tech in Computer Science from IIT Delhi, he joined the IAS in 1989. He has focused extensively on data analytics across citizen databases to weed out fictitious beneficiaries and ensure subsidies reach the rightful recipients. Advocating for e‑government initiatives, he has worked to use technology to curb corruption and improve service delivery. During his career he has been involved with the Aadhaar and Jan Dhan missions, introduced Digilocker and Jeevan Parman, and contributed over 70 judgments on cyber‑law issues as an adjudicating officer under the IT Act.
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