Sanjay Kothari is Secy to new President, Ashok Malik Press Secy

Mr Sanjay Kothari, a retired Haryana cadre IAS officer of the 1978 batch, has been appointed as Secretary to President-elect Ram Nath Kovind, an official release said here today.

Mr Kothari was currently holding the post of chairman, Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), to which he was appointed after his superannuation as Secretary DoPT. Senior journalist Ashok Malik, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, will be the new Press Secretary to the first citizen of the country.

A Ministry of Personnel statement said that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet had also approved the name of Bharat Lal, a forest service officer of 1988 Gujarat Cadre as Joint Secretary to the President. All these appointees will have an initial term of two years, the statement said.