Read or download the official PDF of this gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Jal Shakti on 12th August 2026. Classified under Press Release.
Smt. Archana Varma officially assumed the position of Secretary for the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (RD & GR) within the Ministry of Jal Shakti on August 12, 2026. A 1995-batch IAS officer of the Assam cadre, she was welcomed upon her arrival by Joint Secretary (Admn.) Shri Karan Singh and other departmental officials.
Professional Background and Experience
Smt. Varma brings extensive experience from various senior positions within the Government of India and the State Government of Assam:
National Water Mission (NWM): Served as Mission Director since September 2022, focusing on initiatives beyond the "Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain" (JSA - CTR) campaign.
Central Vigilance Commission (CVC): Served as Additional Secretary, overseeing policy matters and vigilance issues related to the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
Other Central Ministries: Held positions in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Department of Personnel and Training.
State Government: Began her career as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Hamren in the Karbi Anglong District (now West Karbi Anglong), Assam.
Educational Qualifications
Smt. Varma is a graduate in History from Lady Shri Ram College and holds a postgraduate degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Document Metadata
Release Date: 12 August 2026, 7:19 PM
Source: PIB Delhi (Ministry of Jal Shakti)
Release ID: 2298538
Visitor Count: 1678
Available Languages: Urdu, Hindi, Tamil
Key Entities Referenced
Smt. Archana Varma: A 1995-batch IAS officer who has assumed charge as the Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, RD & GR.
Department of Water Resources, RD & GR: The specific department within the Ministry of Jal Shakti focused on water resource development and Ganga rejuvenation.
Ministry of Jal Shakti: The central government ministry responsible for the management and regulation of water resources.
National Water Mission (NWM): An initiative focused on water conservation and management where the appointee previously served as Mission Director.
Central Vigilance Commission: The body where the appointee previously served as Additional Secretary, handling policy and vigilance matters.
Ministry of Jal Shakti
Smt Archana Varma Takes Charge as Secretary,
Department of Water Resources, RD & GR,
Ministry of Jal Shakti
प्रव तथ: 12 AUG 2026 7:19PM by PIB Delhi
Smt. Archana Varma assumed charge as Secretary, Department of Water Resources, RD & GR, Ministry
of Jal Shakti, on 12 August 2026. She is a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Assam cadre. Upon assuming
charge, she was welcomed by Joint Secretary (Admn.), Shri Karan Singh, and other officials of the
Department.
Prior to this, Smt. Varma served in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Department of
Personnel and Training, and held several senior positions in the Government of India. She also served as
Additional Secretary in the Central Vigilance Commission, where she handled matters relating to the
Commission’s policies and vigilance issues concerning the Government of the National Capital Territory
of Delhi, among others.
In September, 2022, she joined Ministry of Jal Shakti as Mission Director, National Water Mission
(NWM) and worked on taking the NWM beyond JSA - CTR.
Smt. Varma began her career as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Hamren, in the Sixth Schedule tribal
District of Karbi Anglong in Assam, now the West Karbi Anglong District and has held several important
positions in the State Government.
Smt. Archana Varma is a graduate in History from Lady Shri Ram College and a postgraduate from
Jawaharlal Nehru University.****
ND/HM
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