CM makes major changes in top bureaucracy

In the first major shuffle of officials a fortnight after Edappadi K Palaniswami became Chief Minister, senior IAS officer Niranjan Mardi was on Friday appointed the new Home Secretary, a post he is returning to after three years. He replaces Apurva Varma.

Mardi, who was the Chief Executive Officer of the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board and the project director, Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project, was transferred and posted as Principal Secretary, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department.

Apurva Varma, who was until now the Home Secretary, has been posted as Principal Secretary, Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments Department in place of T.K. Ramachandran, holding additional charge.

Dr. P. Umanath, IAS, Commissioner of Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils has been posted as Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation as its Managing Director in place of Apoorva.

On Friday, Palaniswami has urged the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar to exempt the state from NEET.

He placed this request to Javadekar when the latter called on him at his residence in Chennai. Senior state ministers were present.