IPS officer Ram Phal Pawar appointed as Joint Secretary of intelligence agency Natgrid

Natgrid is set up to track any terror incident and suspect to enhance India's counter terror capabilities

Senior IPS officer Ram Phal Pawar has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Natgrid — proposed intelligence gathering mechanism — as part of mid-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the government.

As many as six new Joint Secretaries have been appointed in various ministries. Of them, only one is an IAS officer.

These appointments assume significance as various central civil services have been seeking equal job opportunities enjoyed by IAS officers.

Pawar, who is at present working in his cadre state West Bengal, has been appointed to the post for five years, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training said.

Natgrid is a robust intelligence gathering mechanism being set up to track any terror incident and suspect to enhance India's counter terror capabilities functions under Home Ministry.

Pawar has been appointed in place of IAS officer Rajiv Arora, who was in May appointed as Joint Secretary in Labour and Employment Ministry.

Reena Sinha Puri, an Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), has been appointed as Joint Secretary and Financial Adviser in Coal Ministry.

IAS officer Sarada G Muraleedharan has been appointed as Director General (JS level) in National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) here.

Ravi Kant, an officer of Indian Ordnance Factory Service, has been appointed as Joint Secretary in Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare.

Indira Murthy and Rajneesh Tingal have been appointed as Joint Secretaries in Cabinet Secretariat and Department of Pharmaceuticals respectively. Both are officers of Central Secretariat Service.