Shimla | February 9, 2026
In a move that has triggered unease across academic, police and bureaucratic circles, the Sukhu government has set a new administrative precedent by posting an IPS officer in a non-policing role while continuing the practice of assigning key education responsibilities to an IFS officer.
The government has posted Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, IPS (2012 batch) , earlier elevated as DIG rank as Managing Director of MILKFED, Himachal Pradesh, a cooperative institution traditionally headed by officers with experience in cooperative management or allied sectors.
Simultaneously, Rajesh Sharma, IFS (2000 batch) has been relieved of the additional charge of MILKFED and he will continue as State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha, a flagship school education programme dealing with curriculum implementation, learning outcomes, teacher training and institutional reforms.
While the government maintains that the reshuffle has been carried out in “public interest”, the postings have raised fundamental questions about domain expertise and administrative logic.
Academic circles point out that Samagra Shiksha is a highly specialised education programme that requires deep engagement with pedagogy, assessment frameworks and school governance — an area where academicians or officers with an education background are seen as better suited.
Likewise, the posting of an IPS officer as MD, MILKFED, the apex body of milk producers in the state, has sparked debate within the bureaucracy, with many questioning the rationale behind assigning police officers to specialised cooperative institutions.
Senior officials, speaking informally, said the government’s much-publicised slogan of “Vyavastha Parivartan” appears to be translating into a disruption of established administrative conventions rather than strengthening sector-specific governance.
“This is not about individuals, but about institutions. Education needs academic leadership, cooperatives need sectoral expertise, and policing needs police officers,” remarked a senior ex- bureaucrat on condition of anonymity.
The reshuffle has sent ripples across academia, the police establishment and the wider bureaucracy, with many watching closely to see whether this marks a one-off experiment or signals a deeper shift in Himachal Pradesh’s administrative approach.
