New Delhi: “Focussed”, “determined”, “articulate” and one who “likes to keep his desk clean with no pending files” is how colleagues describe Govind Mohan, the 1989 batch IAS officer of Sikkim cadre appointed Union home secretary Wednesday. Mohan will assume charge on 22 August.
A seasoned hand at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Mohan was also the government’s “point person” during the COVID-19 pandemic, tasked with overseeing implementation of decisions taken under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and ensuring swift coordination between states. His last posting was as secretary, Ministry of Culture.
He also held several key positions in government during the UPA years (2004-14), officers in government who have worked with him told ThePrint.
“He released several protocols for home isolation of COVID-19 infected people and was second-in-command to Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla in communication of guidelines and protocols to states and agencies,” said one officer who did not wish to be named.
The officer added that Mohan is seen in government circles as a “troubleshooter”.
“He has served with the Centre for a long time and proved himself yet again during the pandemic by working virtually as second-in-command to the home secretary. He enjoys trust among the bureaucracy in the MHA and was a trusted lieutenant of the outgoing secretary Bhalla,” the officer went on to add.
Former Delhi Police commissioner S.N. Shrivastava, who also worked closely with Mohan, said he commands extensive knowledge of the functioning of the many departments under the MHA.
“He is a good leader, always supportive of his team. He is extremely responsive, articulate, practical with a rational approach and has a firm grip on subjects he has handled,” said Shrivastava, adding that among Mohan’s many qualities, one is that he is “always relaxed”.
A second officer in government was of the opinion that Mohan is a good pick for the role of home secretary, given the rise in terror incidents in Jammu, continued unrest in Manipur and turmoil in neighbouring Bangladesh. “He is very hard working, close to the outgoing home secretary and has a lot of experience to (be able to) handle ongoing issues.”
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Who is Govind Mohan
Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Govind Mohan served as joint secretary and additional secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs before being appointed as secretary, Ministry of Culture, in October 2021. Prior to that, he also served as Principal Resident Commissioner to the Sikkim government, representing the state in New Delhi.
A B.Tech from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and PG Diploma holder from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, he has a specialisation in electrical engineering.
During his stint in the MHA, he headed the Union Territories (UT) division, which coordinates issues relating to the eight UTs, including service-related issues of the AGMUT cadre of the IAS and IPS, implementation of the Centre’s flagship programmes in the UTs and legal issues relating to service and other constitutional matters.
He also had a stint with the Ministry of Finance where he served as joint secretary, Department of Economic Affairs. During this time, he was in charge of proposals relating to foreign investments, formulating a revised gold policy and co-ordinating the signing of bilateral investment treaties with foreign countries. He was also involved in framing a comprehensive investment framework for India, besides drafting a fintech policy.
UPA years to Covid ‘point person’
Mohan’s first major assignment at the Centre can be traced back to 2012 when he was appointed joint secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat as Minister (Economic) at the Indian embassy in Washington DC. The then Manmohan Singh administration had entrusted to him the responsibility of representing the Ministry of Finance, besides promoting the investment climate in India and overseeing elements of bilateral economic cooperation.
During his stint of three years, he was also responsible for handling India’s affairs with multilateral bodies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, sources in the government told ThePrint.
In 2017, he was appointed joint secretary in the MHA for the UT division and later promoted to the position of additional secretary in 2018. He was also appointed a member of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).
In mid-April 2020, when migrants settled in different parts of the country flocked to their native homes amid the pandemic-induced lockdown, it was Mohan who had announced the central government’s decision to arrange shelter camps and food for those in transit.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2021, the Union government released a gazette notification making the Lieutenant Governor the effective executive head of Delhi. The Aam Aadmi Party later moved the Supreme Court against the legislation and a five-judge constitutional bench in May 2023 ruled in favour of it, effectively giving it control over matters related to services and personnel. But barely days later, the Centre brought in an ordinance practically overriding a Supreme Court ruling.
In August that year, the Centre tabled the ordinance in the form of The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, in both houses of Parliament, where it was passed amid protests by the AAP and other opposition parties.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)