New Delhi: Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Vineet Joshi has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of violence hit Manipur. An IAS officer of 1992 batch of Manipur cadre, Joshi is currently Additional Secretary, Higher Education, Union Ministry of Education.

“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the repatriation of Vineet Joshi, Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education, the Ministry of Education to his parent cadre on the request of the Government of Manipur,” stated Deepti Umashankar, Secretary Appointments Committee of the Cabinet and Establishment Officer in an official letter.

Joshi has replaced Dr Rajesh Kumar as the new Chief Secretary. In February 2022, Joshi had been appointed the new chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) consequent upon the relieving of Manoj Ahuja, an IAS officer of 1990 batch of Odisha cadre.

Manipur is on the boil in the wake of clashes between the majority Meitei community and other tribal groups over a high court order asking Manipur government to consider including the former in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs). /BI/