CHANDIGARH, Oct 4 — The Union Home Ministry on Saturday appointed H Rajesh Prasad, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, as the new chief secretary of Chandigarh. Prasad is currently serving as principal secretary of the Power Development Department in Jammu and Kashmir, a post he has held since September 22, 2022.
Born on June 1, 1967, in Karnataka, Prasad holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce and an LL.B., and has completed dual MBA programmes in finance and public management from IGNOU and Pondicherry University, respectively. Jammu and Kashmir is now part of the joint AGMUT cadre that includes J&K and Ladakh.
Prasad succeeds Rajeev Verma, a 1992-batch AGMUT officer, who was transferred as chief secretary of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi on September 28. Verma had served as the first chief secretary of Chandigarh after the Ministry of Home Affairs created the post in January 2025, replacing the previous position of adviser to the UT administrator. He was posted as adviser to the Chandigarh administrator in February 2024 and had earlier served as chief secretary of Puducherry.
Prasad’s appointment marks the continuation of the AGMUT cadre’s leadership in Chandigarh, as the administration looks to strengthen governance and policy implementation in the Union Territory.
