Kuki-Zo and Mao Naga IAS officers from Manipur take top finance ministry roles

The Union government has appointed two tribal IAS officers from Manipur to secretary-level positions in the finance ministry, marking the first time Scheduled Tribe members from Northeast India have reached such senior roles in this crucial ministry.

Vumlunmang Vualnam, a 1992 batch officer belonging to the Paite group within the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar community, has been named expenditure secretary. Simultaneously, K. Moses Chalai, a 1990 batch officer from the Mao Naga community, takes charge as secretary of the Department of Public Enterprises.

These groundbreaking appointments come as part of a significant bureaucratic reshuffle announced last week, which included 16 other senior IAS officers appointed to key positions across various ministries.

Another Manipur officer, Rajesh Agarwal, has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty in the commerce ministry and is slated to take over as commerce secretary when the current incumbent, Sunil Barthwal, retires on September 30.

The appointments gain additional significance against the backdrop of ethnic tensions that have affected Manipur for nearly two years.