Sanjiv Shankar IRS given premature repatriation to parent cadre
Shri Sanjiv Shankar IRS (IT 1993) presently Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor- Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has been given premature repatriation to his parent cadre to avail the benefit of promotion.
Shri Sanjiv Shankar IRS is a distinguished officer of the Indian Revenue Service with over a decade and a half of senior leadership across financial administration, broadcasting policy, tax intelligence, vigilance, and personnel management within the Government of India.
Currently serving as Additional Secretary & Financial Adviser in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (since May 2025), Shri Shankar oversees financial strategy, budgetary management, and expenditure oversight for one of the Government’s most critical ministries. His role involves ensuring fiscal prudence, strengthening public distribution systems, and aligning financial governance with national food security objectives.
Prior to this, he served as Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting from June 2021 to May 2025. In this capacity, he played a key role in shaping broadcasting policy, regulatory frameworks, and media sector reforms during a period of rapid technological and digital transformation. His tenure contributed to strengthening policy clarity and promoting responsible growth in India’s broadcasting ecosystem.
Shri Shankar has held several important assignments in the Income Tax Department. As Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals), Pune under the Directorate General of Investigation (2018–2021), he adjudicated complex tax disputes and ensured fairness in appellate proceedings. Earlier, he served as Director of Income Tax (Intelligence & Criminal Investigation), Pune in the Directorate General of Income Tax (Intelligence & Criminal Investigation) (2016–2018), where he supervised high-stakes financial intelligence and criminal investigation matters, reinforcing enforcement against economic offences.
Between 2014 and 2015, he functioned as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) for PSUs under the Ministry of Textiles, strengthening vigilance mechanisms and promoting transparency. Earlier, as Director (Training) & Director (Establishment) in the Department of Personnel and Training (2010–2014), he contributed to civil services capacity building and personnel policy administration at the central level.
Academically, Shri Shankar pursued the prestigious MIDP-ITP programme in Public Policy & Taxation at the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy (2012–2013), enhancing his expertise in fiscal policy and governance. He is also an alumnus of Hindu College, University of Delhi, one of India’s premier institutions.
Known for his administrative acumen, financial expertise, and policy insight, Shri Sanjiv Shankar continues to contribute significantly to public financial management and governance reform at the highest levels of government.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is a key arm of the Government of India responsible for safeguarding consumer interests, ensuring food security, and maintaining price stability of essential commodities across the country. The ministry plays a central role in balancing consumer protection with efficient distribution systems, making it vital to India’s socio-economic framework.
The ministry operates through two main departments: the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Food and Public Distribution. The Department of Consumer Affairs focuses on consumer rights protection, grievance redressal mechanisms, prevention of unfair trade practices, and regulation of essential commodities. It oversees implementation of the Consumer Protection Act and promotes awareness through nationwide consumer advocacy initiatives.
The Department of Food and Public Distribution manages the procurement, storage, and distribution of food grains under the Public Distribution System (PDS). It works closely with state governments and agencies like the Food Corporation of India to ensure adequate buffer stocks of wheat and rice, stabilize prices, and support farmers through Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations. The ministry is also instrumental in implementing the National Food Security Act, which guarantees subsidized food grains to eligible beneficiaries.
In addition, the ministry monitors sugar production and distribution, regulates warehousing standards, and works toward modernization of food storage infrastructure. Digital reforms such as end-to-end computerization of PDS operations, One Nation One Ration Card portability, and transparency measures have significantly strengthened delivery systems.
Through coordinated policy formulation and implementation, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution ensures that consumer markets function fairly while protecting vulnerable sections of society. Its mandate remains central to India’s food security architecture and overall economic stability.
Indian Bureaucracy Network wishes Shri Sanjiv Shankar the very best.