Almost the entire team looking after media at the strategic Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been shifted and a new one, led by senior Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Nitin D. Wakankar, was appointed on Friday, officials said.
Mr. Wakankar replaces Vasudha Gupta, who has been shifted as Director General of the fact check unit under the Press Information Bureau.
Mr. Wakankar, a Director General (DG) rank officer, was shifted to the MHA from the Bureau of Outreach and Communications of the Press Information Bureau (PIB), where he was serving as the Director General.
The reason for the transfers was not known immediately.
A 1989 batch IIS officer, Mr. Wakankar has served as spokesperson of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), apart from two stints as Deputy Press Secretary with Presidents A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil, respectively.
He has also served as spokesperson of the Defence Ministry and headed the Mumbai region in the IIS in various capacities during his career.
Rajkumar, another senior IIS officer, has been appointed in the media wing of the MHA as Additional Director General (ADG), according to an order issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Praveen Kavi, a Deputy Director, has been appointed to the media wing of the MHA. He has served in MHA earlier as well.
Amandeep Yadav, an Assistant Director, has also been appointed in the media wing of the MHA, the order said.
Two Deputy Director rank officials, Virat Majboor and Harit Shelat, have been shifted from the MHA media wing to All India Radio and the Directorate of Publications Division, respectively.
Ankur Lahoty, an Assistant Director, has been appointed to Doordarshan (News), the order said.