IAS Archana Varma becomes Official Language Secretary

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Saturday, 25 July 2026

Senior IAS officer Archana Varma has been promoted to the job of Secretary, Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs with the same rank and pay as Secretary of Government of India. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment as part of the Centre's ongoing reshuffle of its top civil servants. She will take over the role when incumbent Secretary Ansuli Arya is set to retire on September 30, 2026.

Archana, who was born in 1995 and is an IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, is the Mission Director of National Water Mission in the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Her current role has been temporarily elevated to the Secretary level as part of the ACC's decision prior to her new role in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Archana has over 30 years of administrative experience in both State and Central government. While in the Assam government service, she served in many key roles such as Principal Secretary in the ministries of Governance, Public Administration, Urban Development and Institutional Reforms. She has also had a long term administrative experience at the district level, in crucial policy implementation and public service delivery roles.

Key Highlights:

• Appointed as Secretary, Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs
• 1995-batch Assam-Meghalaya IAS officer with over 30 years of administrative experience
• Led the National Water Mission since 2022, driving sustainable water management initiatives

Under Archana's leadership since September 2022, the National Water Mission has spearheaded efforts for sustainable water use in the country. Under this Ministry, Mission Jal Shakti is engaged in water use efficiency, water resource conservation and promoting integrated water resource management, consistent with the National Water Policy. The Mission has been facilitating programs under her leadership to encourage adoption of water efficient practices and technologies in agriculture, industry and cities, and to build institutional capacity through technology and data-driven governance.

She is part of a larger reshuffle of several secretaries at ministries and departments. The exercise is meant to prepare for seamless leadership changes in the wake of the retirement of senior officials and to ensure continuity in administration within the Union government.

Archana will be the Secretary and in-charge of Department of Official Language for the implementation of the Government of India's policy on official language, promotion of progressive use of Hindi in the conduct of official business and ensuring adherence to provisions of the Official Languages Act and related rules. The department also handles cross cutting coordination of language policies between Ministries and Departments.

Her appointment to one of the key leadership positions as part of the Government Administration has been yet another milestone in her career in administration and demonstrates the Centre's confidence in her leadership, governance experience and policy expertise.