Vishwanath IAS empanelled as Joint Secretary
Shri Vishwanath IAS (West Bengal 2010) has been empanelled as Joint Secretary at the Centre.
Shri Vishwanath, IAS is a distinguished officer known for his deep academic grounding in Hindi literature and his extensive administrative experience across West Bengal. With a rare combination of scholarly excellence and field-level governance exposure, he has contributed significantly to district administration, census operations, fisheries development, and environmental management.
He completed his B.A. in Hindi with First position from the University of Allahabad. He went on to pursue his M.A. and M.Phil. in Hindi from Jawaharlal Nehru University and was later awarded a Ph.D. in Hindi from the same institution. His academic journey reflects a strong engagement with language, literature, and public discourse—an intellectual foundation that has enriched his administrative perspective.
Currently, Shri Vishwanath serves as Project Director (Joint Secretary level) of KEIP in West Bengal (January 1, 2026 – till date), handling responsibilities in the Environment & Forests sector. Prior to this elevation, he served as Project Director (Director level) of KEIP from January 31, 2025 to December 31, 2025, focusing on climate change–related initiatives and environmental governance.
In 2024–2025, he was Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at NSATI, Kolkata (August 20, 2024 – January 31, 2025), contributing to human resource development initiatives. Earlier, he served as Director of the Fisheries Department, Government of West Bengal (January 16, 2023 – August 13, 2024), where he strengthened fisheries administration and sectoral development. He also holds additional charge as Managing Director of the State Fisheries Development Corporation (from January 16, 2023 – till date), supporting fisheries infrastructure and cooperative growth.
Between November 2022 and January 2023, he served as OSD in the Department of Personnel & Administrative Reforms, Government of West Bengal, contributing to personnel policy and administrative coordination.
A significant central deputation in his career was his tenure as Director (Census Operations) for West Bengal under the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Ministry of Home Affairs (November 6, 2019 – November 5, 2022). In this role, he supervised census-related operations and demographic data management, critical to national planning and governance.
Shri Vishwanath has also held multiple district-level leadership roles. He served as Collector & District Magistrate of Kalimpong (February 10, 2017 – November 5, 2019), overseeing general administration, personnel coordination, law and order, and development initiatives. Earlier, he was District Magistrate of Jalpaiguri (September 4, 2014 – December 31, 2015). His experience includes serving as Additional District Magistrate in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri, Land Reforms Officer in Jalpaiguri, Executive Magistrate in Chandernagore, and Assistant Magistrate in Bankura.
Throughout his career, Shri Vishwanath has demonstrated administrative depth across personnel reforms, environmental management, fisheries development, and district governance. His progression from grassroots administrative roles to senior leadership positions reflects steady growth within the Indian Bureaucracy, where intellectual grounding and field experience combine to shape effective governance.
With ongoing responsibilities in environmental and fisheries sectors, along with a strong background in census administration and district leadership, Shri Vishwanath continues to play a pivotal role in advancing sustainable development and responsive public administration in West Bengal.
Indian Bureaucracy News wishes Shri Vishwanath the very best.