Kerala reshuffles 35 IAS officers: Home, Finance, Power, Health revamped
Synopsis
Kerala's government has executed one of its biggest bureaucratic reshuffles of the year, moving 35 IAS officers in a single order. The shake-up swaps the heads of Finance and Home, installs new leadership at KSEB, and sends returning central-deputation officers into Industries and GST — signalling a concerted mid-term recalibration of the state's administrative machinery.
Key Takeaways
The Kerala government transferred 35 IAS officers on 3 November 2025 across departments including Home , Finance , Power , Health , and Industries .
Jyothilal moves from Finance to Home and Vigilance ; Minhaj Alam replaces him as Additional Chief Secretary, Finance .
Prasanth N has been appointed Chairman and Managing Director of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) .
Mohammed Hanish is the new Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare , with charge of five departments.
Beena and Jafar Malik , both returning from central deputation, take charge of Industries and the GST Department respectively.
The reshuffle also affects Tourism , Higher Education , Disaster Management , and Electronics and IT departments.
The Kerala government on Monday, 3 November 2025, carried out one of its largest administrative reshuffles of the year, transferring 35 IAS officers across key departments including Home, Finance, Power, Health, and Industries. The sweeping exercise spans senior Additional Chief Secretaries down to junior-rank officials, with several officers handed additional portfolios.
Senior-Level Movements
In the most consequential swap at the top, K.R. Jyothilal, who was Additional Chief Secretary in the Finance Department, has been moved to the Home and Vigilance departments. He will additionally hold charge of Water Resources, Housing, and Coir.
Replacing him at Finance is Minhaj Alam, elevated to Additional Chief Secretary with responsibility also covering Taxes, Public Procurement Advisory, and the Rebuild Kerala Initiative — the state's flagship post-flood recovery programme.
Puneet Kumar, previously heading Water Resources, has been posted as Additional Chief Secretary, Power, while retaining his role as Resident Commissioner at Kerala House in New Delhi.
Health and Industries: New Faces
Mohammed Hanish steps in as Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, taking over from Jyothilal. His expanded portfolio will also cover Ayush, General Education, Waqf, and Minority Welfare.
Sharmila Mary Joseph, who headed Health as Principal Secretary, has been transferred to the Transport Department. Meanwhile, M. Beena, returning from central deputation, has been appointed Principal Secretary, Industries.
KSEB Leadership Change
A notable structural change involves the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB): Prasanth N has been appointed its Chairman and Managing Director, while also retaining charge of the Sports and Youth Affairs Department. His predecessor at KSEB, M.G. Rajamanickam, has been reassigned as Secretary, Local Self Government Department.
Anupama T.V., who was Secretary of the Local Self Government Department, moves to Finance (Expenditure).
Other Key Appointments
Veena N. Madhavan has been appointed Secretary, Agriculture, and P.B. Nooh has been posted as Special Secretary, Labour. Jafar Malik, returning from central deputation, takes over as Commissioner of the Kerala State Goods and Services Tax Department.
Subhash T.V. has been placed at the disposal of the Health Department for appointment as Managing Director of the Kerala Medical Services Corporation. Afsana Perween will assume charge as Managing Director of MILMA upon returning from leave.
The reshuffle additionally touches departments including Tourism, Higher Education, Science and Technology, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development, Disaster Management, and Electronics and Information Technology. With new officials at the helm of critical departments, the state administration is expected to see a fresh operational orientation in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
Home, Power, and Health simultaneously suggests the Kerala government is recalibrating ahead of a busy policy calendar — the Rebuild Kerala Initiative alone demands tight coordination across multiple departments. The decision to bring back central-deputation officers into the GST and Industries portfolios is telling: both are revenue and investment-critical desks where fresh energy and Centre-liaison experience matter. Placing a single officer over five departments, as seen with Hanish, is operationally efficient on paper but carries execution risk if accountability is diffuse. The real test is whether these transfers translate into policy momentum or simply reshuffle inertia.
NationPress
2 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Kerala government transfer 35 IAS officers?
The Kerala government carried out the transfer as part of a major administrative reshuffle to bring fresh leadership to key departments including Home, Finance, Power, Health, and Industries. Such periodic reshuffles are used to recalibrate departmental priorities and deploy officers returning from central deputation.
Who are the most senior officers affected by the Kerala IAS reshuffle?
The most senior changes involve K.R. Jyothilal (moved from Finance to Home and Vigilance), Minhaj Alam (elevated to Additional Chief Secretary, Finance), Puneet Kumar (posted as Additional Chief Secretary, Power), and Mohammed Hanish (appointed Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare).
Who is the new Chairman and Managing Director of KSEB?
Prasanth N has been appointed the new Chairman and Managing Director of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). He will also continue to hold charge of the Sports and Youth Affairs Department.
Which departments are covered in the Kerala reshuffle of November 2025?
The reshuffle covers Home, Vigilance, Finance, Power, Health, Industries, Transport, Agriculture, Labour, GST, Local Self Government, Tourism, Higher Education, Science and Technology, SC/ST Development, Disaster Management, and Electronics and IT, among others.
What is the Rebuild Kerala Initiative mentioned in the reshuffle order?
The Rebuild Kerala Initiative is the Kerala government's long-term reconstruction and resilience programme launched after the devastating 2018 floods. Minhaj Alam, the new Additional Chief Secretary for Finance, will also oversee this initiative alongside his other portfolios.
