Months before the next Budget in February 2023, the government on Wednesday announced major bureaucratic changes, mostly to fill in the vacancies that will be created after the retirement of a number of secretaries in the coming weeks.

Sanjay Malhotra, the current financial services secretary, will take over as the revenue secretary after Tarun Bajaj retires on November 30. Until then, Malhotra will function as an officer on special duty at the revenue department. Vivek Joshi, the present registrar general of India and Census commissioner at the home ministry, will succeed Malhotra at the department of financial services, according to an order of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

The changes are aimed at ensuring continuity in policy-making at a time when the economy is facing strong external headwinds.

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Aramane Giridhar, the current secretary for road transport and highways, will be the next defence secretary upon the superannuation of Ajay Kumar on October 31. Alka Upadhyaya, currently the chairperson of the National Highways Authority of India, will be the new transport secretary.

Manoj Govil, a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, will take over as the next corporate affairs secretary. Currently, Bajaj is holding the additional charge of the ministry of corporate affairs.

Sanjeev Chopra, a 1990-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, will be the new food secretary after Sudhanshu Pandey retires on October 31.

Current rural development secretary Nagendra Nath Sinha will take over as the steel secretary after Sanjay Kumar Singh retires on December 31. Senior IAS officer Shailesh Kumar Singh will be the new rural development secretary.

Amrit LaI Meena, currently the special secretary in the logistics division of the commerce and industry ministry, will take over as the next coal secretary following the superannuation of Anil Kumar Jain at the end of this month.

Also, Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, a 1990-batch IAS officer, will be the secretary in the department of new and renewable energy from November. Sport secretary Sanjay Kumar will take over as the secretary in the department of school education & literacy in the ministry of education.

Meeta R Lochan, member secretary at the National Commission for Women, will take over as the new sports secretary.

Sudhansh Pant, a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, is appointed secretary in the department of ports, shipping and waterways. Kamran Rizvi, additional secretary in the ministry of housing and urban affairs, will take over as the heavy industries secretary.

Rachna Shah, additional secretary in the commerce ministry, will be the next textiles secretary. Sumita Dawra, currently an additional secretary in the department for the promotion of industry and internal trade, is elevated to the position of special secretary in the same department.