The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday appointed 1992-AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory) cadre IAS officer Rajeev Verma as Delhi’s new chief secretary. He will assume charge from October 1. Verma has been serving as the Chief Secretary of Chandigarh since last year. Earlier, he was posted as the Chief Secretary of Puducherry. Verma, who holds an MTech degree from IIT, will replace Dhamendra, a 1989 batch officer who took charge as Delhi’s Chief Secretary last September. He retires this month. According to the order issued on Saturday, Verma will take charge with effect from October 1, 2025, or from the date of his joining, whichever is later.
“With the approval of the competent authority, Rajeev Verma, IAS, AGMUT cadre, 1992 batch, is hereby transferred from Chandigarh to Delhi and posted as chief secretary, GNCTD, w.e.f. 01.10.2025 or from the date of joining, whichever is later,” an official order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs said. The order was signed by Anish Muraleedharan, Director (S), Ministry of Home Affairs. Between 2018 and 2022, he worked as Principal Secretary and Commissioner for Finance and Revenue in New Delhi. During this period, he also handled crucial responsibilities within the Capital’s Transport department, in addition to holding various Secretary and Additional Secretary-level positions across other departments in the city. Prior to that, he served as Principal Commissioner of Housing and Urban Affairs at the Delhi Development Authority.
From 2013 to 2017, he was Joint Secretary in the Defence Ministry, while in 2012–2013, he held the position of Chairman and Managing Director of the Delhi Transport Corporation. Earlier, he was the chairman and managing director, joint secretary of transport in Delhi from 2012 to 2013. In 2024, Rajeev Verma was appointed as the Advisor to Chandigarh Administrator Banwarilal Purohit and was given an additional charge of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB). The appointment of Delhi Chief Secretary also indicates the Center’s preparedness to pick an AGMUT Cadre IAS to replace Verma as the new Advisor to the Administrator and Chief Secretary of Chandigarh.
His extensive three-decade-long bureaucratic career also includes key roles within the Central government, where he has contributed to the Ministries of Defence, Power, and Health and Family Welfare. He has also worked in various administrative roles in Delhi and Goa between 2000 and 2011. Officials said his extensive experience in governance, urban planning, and administration would help him manage the capital’s governance challenges effectively. Verma holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) and a Master’s in Urban Design from the Delhi School of Planning and Architecture. He also earned an M.Tech. from IIT, bringing technical and planning expertise to the administrative table.
