ACC Extends Temporary Upgradation of Senior IAS Posts Across Eight Central Ministries and Offices
Indian Bureaucracy News Network, New Delhi, November 26, 2025 | The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved extensions in the temporary upgradation of eight senior IAS posts across several Union Ministries and constitutional offices, including Housing, NHAI, DoPT amog others. The order, formalises the continuation of upgraded Additional Secretary–level responsibilities for officers currently holding Joint Secretary or Director level posts.
Temporary upgradation is a mechanism used under Government of India staffing procedures to elevate the rank of a post for a fixed period, typically to the level of Additional Secretary. It does not alter the permanent sanctioned strength under the Central Staffing Scheme and remains subject to time-bound approval.
Among the approved extensions, the post of Joint Secretary in the Department of Expenditure—upgraded to the level of Additional Secretary and currently held by Shri Sajjan Singh Yadav IAS (AGMUT 1995)—has been extended until 19 August 2026.
In the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Director-level post upgraded to Additional Secretary and held by Ms D Thara IAS (Gujarat 1995) has been extended up to 28 July 2026. The order maintains the existing functional arrangement without altering the underlying cadre post.
In the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the post of Member (Administration), which had earlier been upgraded from Joint Secretary level to Additional Secretary level and is held by Shri Vishal Chauhan IAS (Sikkim 1998), has been extended until 5 November 2026. This ensures that the officer continues in the upgraded role for the approved period.
The ACC has similarly extended the temporary upgradation of the Joint Secretary post in the Department of Fertilizers to the level of Additional Secretary for Ms Aneeta C Meshram IAS (Uttar Pradesh 1996), with the new validity up to 5 November 2026. The officer will continue to discharge the duties associated with the upgraded post for the extended period.
In the Ministry of Tourism, the post held by Smt Suman Billa IAS (Kerala 1996)—upgraded from Joint Secretary to Additional Secretary has been extended until 5 December 2026.
The memorandum also extends the upgradation of a Joint Secretary post in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) itself. Shri Manoj Kumar Dwivedi IAS (AGMUT 1997) will continue to function in the Additional Secretary–level upgraded post up to 18 November 2026. DoPT, which manages personnel policy for the IAS and central staffing arrangements, is included in the list of Ministries receiving extensions.
Within the President’s Secretariat, the upgraded post held by Shri Rakesh Gupta IAS (Haryana 1997) has been extended until 14 September 2026. The ACC order maintains his assignment at the Additional Secretary level for the extended duration.
The ACC has also extended the upgradation of a Joint Secretary post in the Cabinet Secretariat, held by Shri Rahul Sharma IAS (Jharkhand 1998), up to 7 November 2026.
What is Temporary Upgradation of a Post
Temporary upgradation is an established administrative mechanism within the Government of India that allows Ministries and Departments to retain continuity at the level of functional responsibility when work requires senior-level supervision but a regular sanctioned post at that grade is not available. These orders are issued for fixed periods under approved staffing norms and are used to maintain workflow in posts that carry duties aligned with higher-level positions. As per Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) guidelines, such upgradations do not alter the permanent strength of the Central Staffing Scheme and are reviewed at the end of each approved term. If not extended through a fresh ACC decision, the post automatically reverts to its original level on expiry of the sanctioned period.
IndianBureaucracy.com wishes all the officers the very best.