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Jaipur, Nov 11 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Secretary Sudhansh Pant has been transferred to Delhi and appointed Secretary in the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Sudhansh Pant, a 1991 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, was appointed as the Chief Secretary on January 1, 2024. His retirement was scheduled to take place in February 2027, but he has now stepped down, almost 13 months before his retirement. The Center has issued formal orders appointing him as Secretary, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. In 2013, Rajiv Mehrishi, who was appointed Chief Secretary by the Vasundhara Raje government, moved to Delhi after only nine months in his tenure. Sudhansh Pant started his career in 1993 as SDO Jaipur. He served as Collector of Jaisalmer and Jhunjhunu and later held various important administrative roles. During the previous Ashok Gehlot government, he was transferred three times in three months and was eventually appointed chairman of the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board. He has also served as Director General of Harishchandra Mathur Rajasthan State Institute of Public Administration (HCM RIPA) and Additional Chief Secretary (Training). Pant has spent several stints in Delhi, including a significant stint as secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, before being recalled to Jaipur in December 2023. After this, Bhajanlal government appointed him as Chief Secretary on January 1, 2024. Pant is the second IAS officer to be transferred to the central government in the middle of his chief secretary tenure. During Vasundhara Raje’s tenure as chief minister in 2013, then chief secretary Rajiv Mehrishi was similarly posted in Delhi. Bureaucracy experts say Sudhansh Pant has long served as an important link between the state government and the Centre. Now he will have the responsibility of implementing the schemes of the Central Government on time, which is why the Modi government has called him to Delhi. Many claims have come forward regarding his sudden transfer. Firstly, Sudhansh Pant is considered one of the trusted officials of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has a strong reputation in the PMO. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was appointed as Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a role in which he proved his administrative ability and deep understanding of governance at the state level. Secondly, Pant has been instrumental in facilitating coordination and decision making between the state and central governments. He has also been credited with the effective implementation of several central schemes in Rajasthan. Third, under his leadership all review meetings took place on time and the Central Government received progress reports on time. His disciplined work ethic and consistent performance are believed to be the reason behind his recent transfer to Delhi. –IANS arch/dpb