India’s SECI Gets New Chairman

• Anand Kumar, an Indian Administrative Officer of Kerela cadre, has been appointed as the SECI chairman with immediate effect
• He is replacing Rajeev Kapoor who has been shifted as a secretary to the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals  
• Kumar will continue to hold both position as SECI chairman as well as secretary, MNRE

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has appointed Anand Kumar as the Chairman of the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI). He replaces Rajeev Kapoor who was SECI's ex-officio chairman.

SECI is the implementing agency for the country's ambitious Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), under which the country is aiming to achieve 100 GW of solar power capacity by 2022. It was the only public sector undertaking set up by the central government that's dedicated to the solar energy sector in India. Now, however, its scope has been widened to include all renewable energies.

An Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) of the Kerela cadre, Anand Kumar assumed charge of secretary at MNRE on June 23, 2017. He joins SECI with immediate effect and will continue to hold both posts – at MNRE and SECI. His official appointment order mentions that he will join SECI 'with immediate effect and till the appointment of a regular incumbent on the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier, in anticipation of ACC approval'.

ACC is the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet under Department of Personnel & Training.

The appointments come as the Government of India announced a major bureaucratic reshuffle in June 2017. Back then, Kumar replaced Rajeev Kapoor as secretary of MNRE. He came from the National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited as managing director.

Kapoor left MNRE to become secretary in the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals.