According to a directive from the Personnel Ministry, the Center has given Statistics and Programme Implementation Secretary Saurabh Garg an additional year of term, enabling the senior official to hold the position until July 31, 2027.
Garg, an Odisha cadre Indian Administrative Service (retired) officer from the 1991 batch, will continue to serve under contract until his present tenure ends later this month. The extension was granted by the Cabinet's Appointments Committee "for a further period of one year beyond July 31, 2026, i.e., up to July 31, 2027," according to the July 13 decision.
Garg will continue to serve as the National Statistical Commission's secretary in addition to leading the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation.After holding the position of Secretary in the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Garg was appointed Secretary in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on May 30, 2024.
The government had said at the time of his appointment that he would remain in the position "until the date of his superannuation, i.e. 31.07.2024 and thereafter on a contract basis for a period of one year beyond the date of superannuation or until further orders."
The government gave him a one-year extension in 2024 when he retired, which was scheduled to expire this month. His tenure has been extended by an additional year by the most recent decision.