SENAPATI, April 21: In a landmark development, the Union government has appointed two tribal IAS officers from Manipur to secretary-level positions in the finance ministry, marking the first time Scheduled Tribe members from Northeast India have assumed such senior roles in this vital central ministry.
K. Moses Chalai, a 1990 batch officer from the Mao Naga community, has taken charge as Secretary of the Department of Public Enterprises. Alongside him, Vumlunmang Vualnam, a 1992 batch officer belonging to the Paite group within the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar community, has been named Expenditure Secretary.
These groundbreaking appointments are part of a major bureaucratic reshuffle announced last week, which saw 16 other senior IAS officers being posted to key positions across various central ministries.
Adding to Manipur’s representation in top government positions, another officer from the state, Rajesh Agarwal, has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Ministry of Commerce. He is slated to take over as Commerce Secretary upon the retirement of the current incumbent, Sunil Barthwal, on September 30.
