Govind Mohan To Take Charge As Union Home Secretary [Current Affairs]

Senior IAS officer Govind Mohan on August 22, will take charge as the new Union Home Secretary from Ajay Kumar Bhalla, who completes his five year tenure at the sensitive post, official sources said.

Govind Mohan, Next Union Home Secretary

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on August 21, appointed 1989-Sikkim cadre IAS officer Govind Mohan as the next Home Secretary. Mohan will replace Ajay Kumar Bhalla upon completion of his tenure on August 22. Mohan is currently posted as Secretary in the Ministry of Culture. Bhalla, a 1984-batch IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, was appointed as Home Secretary in August 2019.

Who is IAS Govind Mohan?

A 1989 batch IAS officer of Sikkim cadre, Mr. Mohan has already joined the Union Home Ministry as an Officer on Special Duty. He has a wide experience of serving both the Sikkim and the Central Governments in various capacities. Mr. Mohan is considered to be one of the brilliant officers presently serving in the government and known for his diligence. He had earlier served the Home Ministry as Additional Secretary handling several key divisions, including Union Territories.

Educational Background of IAS Govind Mohan

Mr. Mohan, a B.Tech from Banaras Hindu University and PG Diploma from IIM, Ahmedabad, was serving as Union Culture Secretary before his appointment to the top bureaucratic post, next only to the Cabinet Secretary.

A seasoned bureaucrat, IAS Govind Mohan

A seasoned bureaucrat, Mr. Mohan was also the government’s key officer during the COVID-19 pandemic and tasked with overseeing implementation of decisions taken for various protocols and ensuring smooth coordination with States.

Challenges faced by him

The immediate challenge for Mr. Mohan after taking over charge is to work in close coordination with the Election Commission to ensure peaceful assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The EC had already announced three-phased polling in the Union Territory beginning September 18.

Launch of two flagship programmes

As Union Culture Secretary, Mr. Mohan has successfully launched two flagship programmes of the Modi Government, ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and ‘Har Ghar Tiranga movement’.

What is ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’?

The ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is an initiative to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence of the country and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements.

What is “Har Ghar Tiranga movement”?

Hosting of the national flag in every home, ‘Tiranga Yatras’, ‘Tiranga’ rallies and ‘Tiranga’ runs are key initiatives under the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga movement’. After the launch of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga movement’, job opportunities were created for thousands of women associated with self-help groups (SHGs), which have increasingly taken over flag production to meet the massive demand, officials said.