Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Nidhi Tewari has been appointed as the private secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the central government. This announcement came on Saturday (Mar 29).

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The letter issued by the department read, “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Ms. Nidhi Tewari, IFS (2014) currently serving as Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, in the Level 12 of the pay matrix with immediate effect, on co-terminus basis or until further orders, whichever is earlier." The office memorandum was undersigned by Annies Kanmani Joy, Deputy Secretary of Government of India.

Who is Nidhi Tewari?

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Tewari secured 96th rank in civil services examination in 2013. She is from Varanasi's Mehmurganj, which is PM Modi's parliamentary constituency since 2014. In 2022, she joined the Prime Minister's Office as an Under Secretary, and since January 6, 2023, she has been serving has the Deputy Secretary. She looked after 'Foreign and Security' portfolios, which reported to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

Tewari had worked in the Ministry of External Affairs before joining the PMO. At the MEA she looked at the Disarmament and International Security Affairs Division. Her flair in handling issues about international relations got her to play a prominent role in the PMO.

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Additionally, she has also looked after External Affairs, Atomic Energy, and Security Affairs. Tewari's dedicated involvement in foreign policy made her role pivotal during India's G20 presidency in December, 2022.

She will be succeeding Vivek Kumar and Hardik Satishchandra Shah, who previously held the post of Private Secretary to PM Modi.