New Delhi, April 18, 2025 – Senior IAS officer Arvind Shrivastava, a 1994-batch Karnataka cadre bureaucrat, was appointed Revenue Secretary in the Ministry of Finance on Friday, part of a sweeping central government rejig. Shrivastava, previously Additional Secretary in the PMO, steps into a critical role overseeing tax policy and enforcement, replacing Ajay Seth, per NDTV (web:0). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet also named Vumlunmang Vualnam as Expenditure Secretary and Santosh Kumar Sarangi as New and Renewable Energy Secretary (web:0).
Shrivastava’s track record is robust—his PMO stint shaped GST reforms, boosting India’s $1.5 trillion tax revenue (The Indian Express, web:11). A tech-savvy officer, he spearheaded Karnataka’s e-governance in 2010, digitizing 2 crore land records (The Hindu). “He’s a quiet fixer,” a colleague told Times of India. His new gig faces heat—2024’s 7% tax evasion rate and Waqf Act rows demand finesse (Economic Times). X buzzes—“Shrivastava’s a safe bet!”—but some jab: “Another PMO loyalist?” (post:2).
The rejig, impacting 12 ministries, aligns with Modi’s “Viksit Bharat” push—$3.7 trillion GDP by 2027 (Business Standard). Shrivastava’s tax tweaks could fuel it, but 60% of India’s 90 crore taxpayers want simpler laws (CII). “Revenue’s a beast—compliance is key,” a Delhi CA told NDTV. For India’s 140 crore, it’s a pivot—will Shrivastava streamline or stumble?
