Vir Vikram Yadav appointed new DGCA chief
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New Delhi: In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the government has appointed Vir Vikram Yadav as the new Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), replacing Faiz Ahmed Kidwai.
Yadav, who is currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, will now head India’s aviation regulator at a critical time as the sector expands rapidly. With rising air traffic, growing airline fleets, and increased focus on safety, his role is expected to be pivotal in strengthening regulatory oversight.
Meanwhile, Kidwai has been transferred to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) as Additional Secretary. He had taken charge as DGCA chief in January 2025 and served for just over a year.
The reshuffle comes at a crucial juncture for the aviation industry. The DGCA monitors airline safety, fleet expansion, airport infrastructure, and compliance with regulations as both domestic and international air travel continue to grow. It also plays a key role in maintaining air safety standards, issuing licenses, and ensuring operational efficiency across India’s aviation ecosystem.
Alongside Yadav’s appointment, several other senior-level changes have been made. Puneet Kansal has been named Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, while Mona K. Khandar has been appointed Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Gyanendra D. Tripathi will serve as Additional Secretary in the Department of Agricultural Research and Education and also as Secretary of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
Vishal Gagan has been appointed Secretary of the Central Information Commission in the rank of Additional Secretary, and N. Gulzar will serve as Member Secretary of the National Capital Region Planning Board under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Diwakar Nath Misra has been appointed Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Power, while Debasish Prusty assumes the role of Additional Secretary in the Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance. Sridhar Chiruvolu has also been elevated to Additional Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office.
With IANS inputs