Hardik Shah Explained

Hardik Shah
Office:Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of India
Primeminister:Narendra Modi
Term Start:July 2020
Predecessor:Rajeev Topno
Successor:Incumbent
Nationality: India
Alma Mater:Gujarat University
University of Manchester
Harvard Kennedy School
Occupation:Civil servant
Honorific Prefix:Dr.

Hardik Satishchandra Shah is an Indian civil servant as a member of Indian Administrative Service of Gujarat Cadre and is currently serving as the Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.[1] He previously served as a Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (India) (PMO) from August 2019.[2] [3] He is a 2010-batch IAS officer.

Education and early life

Shah holds degrees in BTech, MTech and law. He received his bachelor's degree in Law from Gujarat University. He did a post-graduate certificate in Environment Impact Assessment from the University of Manchester. He has done a PhD in environmental engineering from Gujarat University. He was also a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. He was selected for Indian Administrative Service in 2010.

He began his career as a junior engineer in the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB). He is given credit for making Gujarat Pollution Control Board's operations modern and transparent.

In 2017, Shah was handpicked by PM Narendra Modi as Private Secretary to the Union minister of environment, forest and climate change and information and broadcasting.[4] [5]

In August 2019, Hardik Shah was appointed as deputy secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (India) (PMO).[6] Shah was also behind the PM Modi's national plan to control the plastic menace and environment conservation. He has played an important role in bringing key policy changes nationally in controlling environmental pollution and promoting environmental protection in states.[6]

He has closely worked with Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo,[7] professor Michael Greenstone and environmental engineer John Briscoe.[6]

Recognition

He received the 'Special Recognition Award' as a Member Secretary, GPCB for e-Governance under 'Environment Category' by CSI Nihilent e-Governance Awards 2009–2010.[5] [8] In 2013, he was awarded the AMA's Outstanding Manager of the Year Award 2013 by the Ahmedabad Management Association.[9]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Hardik Satishchandra Shah appointed Private Secretary to PM Modi . . 30 July 2020.
  2. News: Hardik Satishchandra Shah IAS appointed Deputy Secretary - PMO . Indianbureaucracy.com . 31 August 2019.
  3. News: Ex-GPCB chief Hardik Shah reaches PMO . subscription. . 5 September 2019 . Vol 22, PW 23.
  4. News: Hardik Satishchandra Shah IAS appointed PS to Prakash Javadekar . Indianbureaucracy.com . 22 June 2019.
  5. News: Hardik Shah appointed Private Secretary to Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister . Elets News . 24 June 2019.
  6. News: PMO elevates Gujarat cadre IAS officer Hardik Shah as personal secretary to PM . . 31 July 2020.
  7. News: The Nobel Connection . . 15 October 2019.
  8. Web site: CSI Nihilent e-Governance Awards 2009-10 . csinihilent-egovernanceawards.org . 2010.
  9. News: Three IAS babus transferred . . 17 May 2015.