Chandra Bhushan Kumar IAS appointed as Secretary- Ministry of Labour & Employment
Shri Chandra Bhushan Kumar IAS (AGMUT 1996), presently in the cadre, has been appointed as Secretary- Ministry of Labour & Employment vice Ms. Vandana Gurnani IAS (KN:91) upon her superannuation on 31.07.2026.
Shri Chandra Bhushan Kumar, IAS, is a senior civil servant whose career reflects extensive experience across public administration, elections, education, disaster management, urban governance, agriculture, water and sanitation, and the administration of Union Territories and northeastern states. Over more than two decades of service, he has handled a wide range of sensitive and challenging assignments at the district, state and central levels, steadily taking on positions of increasing responsibility.
He is currently serving as Chief Secretary to the Government of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, holding the rank of Additional Secretary. He assumed the position on November 25, 2024. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the broad administrative functioning of the Union Territory, including personnel and general administration. The assignment draws upon his extensive experience in governance, public administration and the management of complex administrative institutions.
Shri Kumar possesses an impressive academic background spanning science, law, public administration and geography. He completed his B.Sc. (Honours) in Mathematics from Ranchi University, securing First Division. He subsequently obtained an LL.B. degree from the University of Delhi. His academic pursuits also took him overseas, where he completed an M.A. in Public Administration from the University of Syracuse, USA, securing First Division with Distinction. He further earned a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Wales. His diverse academic training has given him a broad interdisciplinary perspective, combining quantitative understanding, law, public policy, administration and social sciences.
Before assuming his present assignment, Shri Kumar served as Additional Secretary and Mission Director in the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti from January to November 2024. The position placed him at the centre of India’s efforts in the drinking water and sanitation sector, involving policy implementation and programme administration at the national level.
Earlier, he served as Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi from September 2022 to January 2024. Prior to this, he was Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. His association with the Election Commission of India has been particularly significant. He served as Deputy Election Commissioner from July 2018 to August 2022, first at the level of Joint Secretary Equivalent and later at the level of Additional Secretary Equivalent. His responsibilities involved the administration and management of electoral processes, an area requiring extensive legal, constitutional and organisational expertise.
Before his central deputation, Shri Kumar served as Chief Electoral Officer and Secretary in the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi from December 2014 to March 2018. He had earlier held a similar position in Arunachal Pradesh, serving as Chief Electoral Officer and ex-officio Commissioner and Secretary in the Education and Culture Department. His experience in election administration across two geographically and administratively distinct regions has been an important feature of his career.
His earlier assignments included Commissioner-cum-Secretary in the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, Director in the Education Department of the Government of NCT of Delhi, Special Secretary in the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, Labour Commissioner, and Additional Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. He also served as Deputy Commissioner in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, gaining experience in urban administration and municipal governance.
At the district level, Shri Kumar served as Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate in Arunachal Pradesh and as Deputy Commissioner in Nicobar. His early career included service as Assistant Commissioner in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. These field assignments provided him with first-hand experience in district administration, land and revenue management, public service delivery and the administration of geographically challenging areas.
Shri Chandra Bhushan Kumar’s career is distinguished by the breadth of his administrative exposure and the diversity of responsibilities he has undertaken. From remote island territories and northeastern districts to the national capital and key central ministries, he has served across multiple domains of governance. His experience in election administration, public policy, education, water and sanitation, agriculture and general administration places him among senior administrators with a particularly broad understanding of India’s governmental and institutional systems.
Indian Bureaucracy News wishes Shri Chandra Bhushan Kumar the very best.