New Delhi: Gujarat cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Hardik Satishchandra Shah was on Thursday appointed as the Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Hardik S Shah, a 2010 batch IAS officer, is currently serving as deputy secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC), chaired by the Prime Minister, approved Shah’s appointment “with effect from the date of assumption of the charge, on co-terminus basis, or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” said the order issued by the Ministry of Personnel.

Hardik S Shah’s 1st assignment at Centre in 2017

Hardik Satishchandra Shah will succeed Rajeev Topno.

Rajeev Topno, a 1996-batch IAS officer, is set to move to Washington for his next assignment. He has been appointed senior advisor to World Bank Executive Director.

Hardik Satishchandra Shah came to serve Centre for the first time in 2017 when he joined as private secretary to environment minister Anil Madhav Dave. He continued there in Prakash Javadekar’s tenure before being moved to PMO in 2019, reported a leading portal.