Nripendra Misra recently stepped down from the top job

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appointed his most trusted bureaucratic aide P.K. Mishra as his Principal Secretary in place of Nripendra Misra, who recently stepped down from the top job at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Dr. Mishra has been elevated from Additional Principal Secretary to Principal Secretary with effect from September 11.

In another top appointment in the PMO, former Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha, who was appointed as Official on Special Duty (OSD) in the PMO, has now been appointed as Principal Advisor to the PM from September 11.

Both positions will be co terminus with the term of PM or until further order, whichever is earlier, as per the order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

Dr. Mishra is an old aide of Mr. Modi as their association dates back to October 2001 when the latter took over as Gujarat Chief Minister and he was appointed as his Principal Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

When Mr. Modi took over as PM in 2014, Dr. Mishra was brought in as Additional Principal Secretary and was looking after the crucial Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), which makes top appointments at the Centre.

As Principal Advisor, Mr. Sinha will most likely look after policy-related matters in the PMO. He was appointed Cabinet Secretary in 2015 for two years but continued till August 2019 after several extensions.