Shri Chanchal Kumar has assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on 1st April 2026. He is a 1992-batch IAS officer from Bihar cadre. Upon his assumption of charge, he was welcomed by outgoing Secretary, Shri Sanjay Jaju and other officials of the Ministry and various media units. Shri Sanjay Jaju has now been assigned the charge of Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.
Prior to this, Shri Kumar served as Secretary in the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and has held several senior positions in the Government of India. He has also served as Managing Director, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), contributing to strategic highway and infrastructure projects.
In the Government of Bihar, he has held several important positions including Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and Secretary to the Chief Minister, apart from serving as District Magistrate in multiple districts.
Shri Chanchal Kumar holds B.Tech and M.Tech degrees from IIT Kanpur and a Ph.D. in Economics from Patna University, bringing a strong academic and policy background to his administrative career.
