New Delhi: With a top level Bureaucratic reshuffle by the Union Government, senior Indian Administrative Service officer Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The appointment comes in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.
According to the official order issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Shri Lohani will subsequently assume charge as Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, taking over from Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar, IAS (RJ:94), upon his scheduled transition.
Prior to this elevation, Shri Lohani served as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, where he managed key responsibilities related to decentralised administration, policy formulation, and institutional strengthening across grassroots rural governance structures.
A distinguished bureaucrat from the 1995 batch of the Odisha cadre, Shri Lohani brings nearly three decades of administrative experience spanning field management, state administration, and central policy portfolios. Over his long career, he has held key leadership positions in Odisha, including Chief Electoral Officer, Principal Secretary in Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water sectors, and District Magistrate and Collector across key districts such as Sambalpur, Balangir, and Kendujhar.
At the Central level, Shri Lohani has worked across diverse ministries, including assignments in the Ministry of Labour and Employment as Additional Central Provident Fund Commissioner, the Department of Fertilizers as Joint Secretary, and Executive Director in the Rural Electrification Corporation. His academic background includes a degree in Mechanical Engineering alongside specialized certifications in Economics and Information Technology, providing a multidisciplinary foundation for public administration.
In his new role overseeing the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Lohani will lead key national initiatives aimed at boosting livestock productivity, enhancing dairy infrastructure, strengthening disease surveillance, and expanding rural livelihoods tied to animal husbandry across India.