Telecom secretary Rakesh Garg has been appointed secretary of the minority affairs ministry as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle, 10 months ahead of his retirement. JS. Deepak has been appointed as the new secretary, department of telecommunications. Deepak, a 1982 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, is at present secretary, department of electronics and information technology.

 Other Appointments 

• Krishan Kumar Jalan, who is central provident fund commissioner in the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization, has been appointed as secretary, ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises.
• Shobhana K. Pattanayak has been made the new secretary, department of agriculture, cooperation and farmers’ welfare, in place of Siraj Hussain, on his superannuation in the end of this month.
• Avinash K. Srivastava, a 1982 batch IAS officer, has been appointed as secretary, ministry of food processing, the release said. Srivastava is special secretary, department of agriculture, cooperation and farmers’ welfare.
• Vinod Agrawal, secretary, National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), has been made secretary, department of empowerment of persons with disabilities.
• Shyam S. Agarwal, secretary of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), has been appointed as secretary, ministry of tribal affairs.
• Tribal affairs Secretary Arun Jha has been appointed new secretary of NCSC.
• Agarwal has been given additional charge of NCST for a period of three months or till the appointment of a regular incumbent, it said.