New OSD for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Gets Free Hand to Build Team Amid Reform Buzz
Atish Chandra, a 1994-batch IAS officer from the Bihar cadre, currently serves as a Special Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. He has now been appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, with the rank of Secretary. He will formally take over as Secretary on February 28, 2026, following the retirement of the current Secretary, Devesh Chaturvedi, a 1989-batch IAS officer from the Uttar Pradesh cadre.
As part of the government’s renewed focus on agricultural sector reforms, Atish Chandra has been granted significant autonomy to select his own team within the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. This decision signals a deliberate move to empower new leadership with the freedom to bring in officers aligned with the ministry’s ambitious reform goals. The agriculture ministry is expected to roll out a series of structural changes aimed at boosting productivity, enhancing farmer income, improving market transparency, and promoting sustainable practices.
Chandra’s team is likely to include experts who can effectively navigate complex policy issues, adopt modern technologies, and strengthen coordination between the central and state governments. This leadership shift, along with the flexibility in team formation, is widely seen as pivotal to advancing ongoing agricultural reforms. It also reflects the government’s confidence in Atish Chandra’s strategic approach and administrative skills to drive transformation in the sector.
Under his leadership, the ministry is expected to prioritise innovation in supply chain systems, farmer-centric welfare schemes, crop diversification, and the integration of sustainable and climate-aligned agricultural practices. Overall, Atish Chandra’s appointment and the autonomy granted to him mark an important step toward accelerating India’s agricultural reform agenda.
