Centre names Vir Vikram Yadav as DGCA chief, reshuffles 25 senior bureaucrats

The government has named senior bureaucrat Vir Vikram Yadav as the new head of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). His appointment is part of a larger reshuffle that affects 25 senior officials in various departments.

Yadav, a 1996-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Odisha cadre, takes over from Faiz Ahmed Kidwai. Kidwai has been transferred to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) as Additional Secretary, according to the Press Trust of India.

New DGCA Chief Takes Charge

Yadav is currently an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He will now lead India’s aviation regulator as the sector faces growing traffic and new challenges.

Kidwai, who is also a 1996-batch IAS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, became DGCA chief in January last year.

This leadership change at the DGCA comes amid increased attention on aviation safety, regulatory oversight, and passenger growth, as India’s aviation market continues to expand.

Wider Bureaucratic Reshuffle

This appointment is part of a larger administrative reshuffle approved by the government, which named 25 senior officials as Additional Secretaries across different ministries. Some of the key appointments include:

• Puneet Kansal is now an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• Vishal Gagan will serve as Secretary at the Central Information Commission.
• Gyanendra D Tripathi has been named Additional Secretary in the Department of Agricultural Research and Education and Secretary of ICAR.

There are also several other appointments across ministries, including corporate affairs, power, commerce, agriculture, finance, and home affairs.

Movements Across Key Ministries

The reshuffle also includes these senior appointments:

• Ansuman Pattanaik has been posted to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• Diwakar Nath Misra has been posted to the Ministry of Power.
• Debasish Prusty has been posted to the Department of Financial Services.

Other changes were made in departments such as telecommunications, textiles, agriculture, cooperation, and revenue, showing a broad administrative realignment.

These reshuffles are common in India’s administrative system and aim to align leadership roles with evolving policy goals and operational needs.

With Yadav now leading the DGCA, people will watch how the regulator handles the next phase, which includes more passenger demand, expanding infrastructure, and greater regulatory challenges. Overall, the reshuffle highlights the government’s effort to bring in new leadership across departments while keeping administrative continuity as it manages policy in many sectors.