Alok Kumar Assumes Power Secretary Role, Taking Over From Sanjeev Sahai

Alok Kumar, a 1988 batch IAS officer of UP cadre, has taken over as Union Power Secretary, succeeding Sanjeev Nandan Sahai.

Ministry of Power welcomes Shri Alok Kumar, the new Secretary(Power) pic.twitter.com/zXFcIKGOnn

— Ministry of Power (@MinOfPower) February 1, 2021

Alok Kumar, a 1988 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, on Monday took over as Union Power Secretary. Kumar will succeed Sanjeev Nandan Sahai, who retired on January 31, 2021, a senior official said. Before joining as the Union Power Secretary, he was the additional chief secretary, Industrial Development and IT & Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh.

Before joining as the Union Power Secretary, Alok Kumar was the additional chief secretary, Industrial Development and IT & Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh. Kumar did his graduation in Civil Engineering from IIT-Roorkee and also holds an MBA in finance.

He has acquired widely recognized expertise in policy and regulatory affairs of India’s electricity sector while working for more than seven years at the national level and about three years at the state level in Uttar Pradesh. Kumar has also been the chief executive officer of various public enterprises in the transport and electricity sectors.

He has also worked in the areas of skill development, handcraft-based micro-enterprises, apprenticeship programmes and National Career Services.

It was stated that Kumar has authored a book on policy and regulation of the electricity industry in India which was published by Oxford University Press in 2012.

In November 2019, Sanjeev Nandan Sahai had assumed charge as Secretary in the Ministry of Power in New Delhi. He had been appointed in place of Subhash Chandra Garg, who retired on October 31, 2019. Prior to this, Sahai, who is a UT cadre IAS officer of the 1986 batch, was serving as the Special Secretary in the Ministry of Power. He had also served as Additional Secretary in the power ministry from May 2018 to July 2019.

Besides this, Sahai held several other significant positions in the Union as well as State Governments including DG (Additional Secretary equivalent) and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Principal Secretary in the Home Department, Chairman and MD of Delhi Transport Corporation, Secretary-cum-Commissioner Transport for Delhi Government, Chairman of the Chandigarh Housing Board, Finance Secretary in the Government of NCT of Delhi, Home Secretary, etc.