Harmit Singh Pahuja IAS empanelled as Joint Secretary
Shri Harmit Singh Pahuja IAS (Manipur 2010) has been empanelled as Joint Secretary at the Centre.
Shri Harmit Singh Pahuja, IAS, is a distinguished civil servant whose career reflects a rare blend of academic brilliance and extensive administrative experience across multiple sectors of governance. With an exceptional multidisciplinary educational background, he has combined medical science, management studies, and public administration to shape a career marked by analytical depth and policy-oriented leadership. He completed his B.A. in Public Administration with First position from Osmania University. He then earned an M.B.A. in Marketing Management, again securing First position, from Manipur University. Adding further distinction to his academic profile, he completed his M.B.B.S. with First position from B. N. Mandal University. This uncommon academic combination equips him with insights into public health systems, organizational behavior, financial management, and governance structures—an advantage in modern administrative leadership.
Currently, Shri Pahuja serves as Director in the Department of Personnel & Training under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions for the period January 16, 2024 to November 17, 2026. In this significant central assignment, he is engaged in personnel policy, cadre management, service regulations, and administrative reforms that shape governance standards across ministries and departments. Prior to his elevation as Director, he served as Deputy Secretary in the same Ministry from November 18, 2019 to January 15, 2024, where he handled key aspects of personnel administration and policy coordination. His work in this domain directly contributes to institutional strengthening and systemic improvements within the Indian Bureaucracy, particularly in areas relating to human resource governance and service delivery mechanisms.
Before moving to central deputation, Shri Pahuja built strong grassroots administrative credentials in Manipur. He served as Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate of Ukhrul from July 7, 2017 to October 27, 2019, overseeing district administration, land revenue management, disaster response coordination, and developmental initiatives in a geographically and socio-politically sensitive region. Earlier, he held the position of Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate in Manipur from December 8, 2016 to July 5, 2017, managing law and order, public welfare schemes, and administrative oversight at the district level. His tenure in these assignments reflects hands-on governance experience, crisis management capability, and close engagement with community-level development challenges.
His earlier postings in Manipur include Director of Sports & Youth Affairs (February 2016 to December 2016), where he contributed to youth engagement and sports promotion policies, and Registrar of Co-operation (April 2015 to August 2016), where he supervised cooperative institutions and strengthened regulatory frameworks. He also served as Additional Deputy Commissioner in East Imphal and Deputy Secretary in School Education, gaining valuable exposure to education policy implementation, revenue administration, and departmental management.
Shri Pahuja’s experience extends beyond state administration to urban governance at the national capital level. He served with the Delhi Development Authority as Director (Urban Development) from December 16, 2011 to March 25, 2013, contributing to land and building regulation, urban planning oversight, and development authority administration. Prior to that, he worked as Deputy Chief Vigilance Officer in the same organization from March 19, 2009 to December 16, 2011, handling vigilance matters and strengthening accountability mechanisms.
Beginning his administrative journey in junior-scale roles such as Sub-Divisional Officer/Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Senapati and Chandel districts and Under Secretary in School Education, Shri Pahuja steadily rose through the ranks through consistent performance and diverse exposure. His career trajectory demonstrates a seamless transition from grassroots field administration to high-level policy formulation at the Centre. With a unique academic foundation and broad sectoral experience—ranging from public health and education to urban development and personnel policy—Shri Harmit Singh Pahuja continues to contribute meaningfully to governance reform, institutional capacity building, and effective public administration in India.
Indian Bureaucracy News wishes Shri Harmit Singh Pahuja the very best.