Appointments Current Affairs 2026 for Government Exams

Adobe named India-born Anil Chakravarthy as its next President and Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 December 2026. He currently serves as President of Adobe's Customer Experience Orchestration business and worldwide field operations. He succeeds Shantanu Narayen, who announced in March 2026 that he would step down after 18 years as CEO. The move hands the software maker to a long-serving internal executive as it pushes to accelerate growth in an increasingly AI-driven market, and adds to the long list of India-origin chief executives running major global technology firms, a recurring theme in appointment-based exam questions.

Retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra was appointed the first Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the Ram Temple at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, in September 2026. He was selected from a shortlist of three after scrutiny of 5,585 applications; the other finalists were Major General Sanjay Pratap Singh Bisht and Shruti Bharadwaj. Mishra headed the Western Air Command during Operation Sindoor, retired from the IAF in April 2026, and has over 3,000 flying hours across 18-plus aircraft types. Govind Dev Giri became General Secretary and Mahesh Bhagchandka Treasurer, while Nirmala Yadav became the Trust's first woman trustee.

Ülle Madise, Estonia's Chancellor of Justice, was elected President of Estonia in September 2026 by secret ballot as the sole candidate for a five-year term. She secured 71 votes in the 101-member Riigikogu, exceeding the required two-thirds majority of 68; 78 members participated and 7 ballots were left unmarked. Her candidature was proposed by 75 members. She assumes office on 12 October 2026, succeeding Alar Karis, who did not seek a second term, and becomes only the second woman President of Estonia after Kersti Kaljulaid. The Estonian presidency is a largely ceremonial office elected indirectly by Parliament rather than by direct popular vote.

The World Bank Group appointed Japanese national Yuko Keicho as Vice President and Auditor General, heading its Internal Audit Vice Presidency (IAD) and overseeing governance, risk management and operational integrity across the Group's institutions. She reports directly to President Ajay Banga, with a functional reporting line to the Audit Committee. Keicho brings over 30 years across multilateral institutions and the private sector, having served as Auditor General at the Asian Development Bank and, earlier, over two decades at the World Bank. It adds to the year's multilateral leadership changes tracked alongside India's hosting of the 18th BRICS Summit in September 2026.

Roman Gofman was appointed head of Israel's foreign intelligence agency Mossad, taking charge of one of the world's best-known spy agencies.

The former Kathmandu mayor and rapper Balendra 'Balen' Shah became Nepal's PM after his Rastriya Swatantra Party won the March 2026 election (held after the 2025 Gen Z protests). At 36 he became among the world's youngest serving national leaders.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar assumed the chairship of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) at Stockholm - the first time India chaired the 35-member body.

The Government of India appointed Annie George Mathew, Janmejaya Kumar Sinha and Syed Akbaruddin as part-time non-official directors on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India for a four-year term. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet cleared it on 22 August 2026 under Section 8(1)(c) of the RBI Act, 1934. Mathew, an IA&AS officer, is a member of the 16th Finance Commission; Sinha chairs BCG India; Akbaruddin is a former Permanent Representative of India to the UN. This follows the earlier August induction of ex-ISRO chief S. Somanath to the same board.

The Government of India appointed former ISRO Chairman Somanath Sreedhara Panicker as a part-time, non-official Director on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India, and re-appointed Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Gopal Mahindra, both for four years with effect from 20 August 2026. Somanath served as ISRO's tenth Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, from January 2022 to January 2025 — a tenure that included the Chandrayaan-3 soft landing near the lunar south pole on 23 August 2023, now commemorated annually as National Space Day. Part-time non-official directors are nominated by the Centre under the RBI Act, 1934.

Parag Jain was appointed the new Secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India''s external intelligence agency. R&AW functions under the Cabinet Secretariat and reports to the Prime Minister.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) appointed Monisha Chakraborty as Executive Director (ED) with effect from 3 August 2026. A career central banker with over three decades at the RBI, she was earlier Chief General Manager-in-Charge of the Department of Supervision. As ED she will oversee the Foreign Exchange Department and the Financial Markets Regulation Department. (Separately, Ravi Shankar became ED from 1 July 2026.)

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved a one-year extension for Rahul Navin, Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), extending his tenure until 13 August 2027 (or until further orders), beyond his superannuation on 31 July 2027. Navin is a 1993-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS - Income Tax) officer. He joined the ED as Special Director in 2019, became Director (In-Charge) in September 2023, and was appointed full-time ED Director on 14 August 2024, succeeding Sanjay Kumar Mishra. The ED operates under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, handling money-laundering and foreign-exchange law cases.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved a one-year extension for Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan (IAS), whose tenure was to end on 30 August 2026. He became the 33rd Cabinet Secretary on 30 August 2024, succeeding Rajiv Gauba. The ACC also granted a one-year extension to Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan (to 22 August 2027).

Air India appointed Tewolde Gebremariam, former CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, as its new CEO & MD (announced August 2026). He succeeds Campbell Wilson, who stepped down in April 2026. Gebremariam led Ethiopian Airlines (2011-2022), building it into Africa''s largest and most profitable airline group; his joining is subject to MHA and BCAS clearances.

A S Rajeev, a Vigilance Commissioner in the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), assumed charge as the Acting Central Vigilance Commissioner with effect from 3 August 2026, succeeding Praveen Kumar Srivastava, whose tenure ended on 2 August 2026. A former MD & CEO of Bank of Maharashtra with over 38 years in banking, Rajeev has also served as Vice Chairman of the Indian Banks' Association. The CVC is a statutory anti-corruption body established in 2003 under the CVC Act, based on the recommendation of the Santhanam Committee (1964).

Prasanta Mahapatra assumed charge as an Executive Director (ED) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), where he will oversee the Corporation Finance Investigation Department (CFID) and the Recovery and Refund Department (RRD). He joined SEBI in April 1999 and brings over 27 years of experience in securities-market regulation; before this elevation he was a Chief General Manager at SEBI. SEBI was established in 1988 and granted statutory powers on 30 January 1992 under the SEBI Act, 1992; it is headquartered in Mumbai.

The Centre extended K. Rajaraman's tenure as Chairperson of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) by 27 months, until 24 October 2028 (or age 65, whichever is earlier). A 1989-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre and former Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, he was IFSCA's first full-time Chairperson (October 2023), succeeding Injeti Srinivas. IFSCA, established in April 2020 under the IFSCA Act, 2019, is the unified regulator for International Financial Services Centres and is headquartered at GIFT City, Gandhinagar (Gujarat).

Vice Admiral A.N. Pramod assumed charge as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (DCNS) of the Indian Navy in August 2026, succeeding Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, who superannuated on 31 July 2026. A Communication and Electronic Warfare specialist commissioned into the Navy on 1 July 1990, he earlier served as Director General Naval Operations (DGNO) and played a key role in Operation Sindoor and maritime-security operations. He is a recipient of the AVSM (2024) and the Yudh Seva Medal (YSM, 2025).

Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja has been appointed the next Director General, Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), succeeding Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin on her retirement on 31 August 2026. He led the medical preparation for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission and is a twice recipient of the Vishisht Seva Medal and of the Sena Medal.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) appointed Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja as Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), effective 31 August 2026. He was serving as Director General Medical Services (Air) of the Indian Air Force and will succeed Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, who was the first woman DGAFMS, following her retirement. The DGAFMS heads the integrated medical services of all three armed forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) and reports to the Ministry of Defence, overseeing command hospitals and military medical establishments.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) appointed Satya Pal Kumar, a 2005-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the Income Tax cadre, as the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit - India (FIU-IND). FIU-IND, set up in 2004, is the central national agency responsible for receiving, processing, analysing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions, and reports directly to the Economic Intelligence Council headed by the Finance Minister. It is the nodal agency for India's engagement with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Union Minister Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi — who holds the Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and New and Renewable Energy portfolios — was given additional charge as the 10th Union Minister of Education, following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. On the advice of PM Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu accepted Pradhan's resignation under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution. Pradhan resigned taking moral responsibility for the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and the resulting student protests. In related changes, Naresh Pal Gangwar (1994-batch IAS) took charge as Higher Education Secretary and T.K. Anil Kumar (1995-batch IAS) as School Education & Literacy Secretary.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved the appointment of Rajiv Kumar as Part-time (Non-Executive) Chairman of HDFC Bank for a three-year term. Interim Part-time Chairman Keki Mistry steps aside from the role but remains on the board. Separately, the government extended the term of RBI Deputy Governor Swaminathan Janakiraman (the senior-most Deputy Governor) by two years, effective 26 June 2026.

The Ministry of Railways appointed Rahul Himalian, Director (Tourism & Marketing) at IRCTC, as additional Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of IRCTC, effective 20 July 2026, following the resignation of Sanjay Kumar Jain. A 1999-batch IRTS officer with over 26 years of experience, Himalian has been a Whole-Time Functional Director on the IRCTC Board since February 2024.

The Ministry of Railways appointed Rahul Himalian, Director (Tourism & Marketing) of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), as the additional Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of IRCTC, following the resignation of Sanjay Kumar Jain. The appointment takes effect from 20 July 2026; he will continue to hold his post as Director (Tourism & Marketing). Profile: A 1999-batch Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer, Himalian has over 26 years of experience in Indian Railways and IRCTC, and has served as a Whole-Time Functional Director on the IRCTC Board since 16 February 2024. He heads Tourism, Information Technology, Human Resource Development, Infrastructure, Administration and Rajbhasha. He was awarded the President's Gold Medal for Best All-Round Student. About IRCTC: Established in 1999, IRCTC is a Schedule 'A' Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways, providing railway ticketing, catering, tourism and hospitality services. HQ: New Delhi.

In July 2026, Mindaugas Sinkevicius, leader of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), was sworn in as the 20th Prime Minister of Lithuania after the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) approved his party's government manifesto. Succession: He succeeds Inga Ruginiene, who stepped down on 14 July 2026. Parliamentary vote: Out of the 141-member Seimas, 72 lawmakers voted in favour of the manifesto, 29 voted against and 4 abstained. The opposition Nemunas Dawn Party (NDP) was ousted from the government amid legal controversies. Coalition: Sinkevicius formed a centre-left three-party coalition comprising the LSDP, For Lithuania (DLV) and the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LFGU).

The <b>US Federal Reserve</b> appointed three Indian-origin experts — <b>Raghuram Rajan</b>, <b>Raj Chetty</b> and <b>Asha Sharma</b> — to lead three of its five task forces reviewing the Fed's monetary policy framework under Fed Chair <b>Kevin Warsh</b>. <b>Raghuram Rajan</b> (former RBI Governor, now at Chicago Booth) will lead the <b>Balance Sheet Policy</b> task force; <b>Raj Chetty</b> (Harvard) the <b>Data</b> task force; and <b>Asha Sharma</b> (Microsoft Xbox CEO) the <b>Productivity and Jobs</b> task force. The US Fed, established in 1913, reviews its policy framework roughly every five years.

Indian tennis legend Leander Paes has been appointed Player Ambassador of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF), announced during a ceremony on the sidelines of the Wimbledon Championships in London. Paes - the only Indian to win an Olympic tennis medal (bronze in men's singles at Atlanta 1996) - will promote the sport across Asia, mentor young players and support grassroots development. He won 18 Grand Slam titles (8 men's doubles and 10 mixed doubles) and completed a career Grand Slam in both disciplines. In 2024 he became the first Asian man inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. ATF President: Yuryi Polskiy. Paes represented India at seven consecutive Olympic Games.

UIDAI CEO Saurabh Vijay took charge as CEO of the IndiaAI Mission, the body driving India's national artificial-intelligence strategy and compute infrastructure.

Former Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati was appointed Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for a three-year term.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting appointed lyricist-writer Prasoon Joshi as Chairman of Prasar Bharati, India's public-service broadcaster.

Sangita Barua was elected President of the Press Club of India, the leading body of journalists in the national capital.

HDFC Bank appointed former Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar as its part-time non-executive chairman for a three-year term, subject to RBI approval.

Economist Neelkanth Mishra was appointed India's Executive Director at the World Bank for a three-year term, succeeding Parameswaran Iyer. He represents the constituency of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka on the Bank's Board.

Rohit Jain took charge as RBI Deputy Governor for a three-year term, after which the RBI reassigned portfolios among its four deputy governors.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Rohit Jain, an RBI Executive Director, as the new RBI Deputy Governor for a three-year term beginning in 2026, after nearly 30 years at the central bank.

Ramakrishnan Chander took over as Managing Director of the Life Insurance Corporation of India, having earlier served as LIC's Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer.

Mahesh Dixit, a 1993-batch IPS officer of the Telangana cadre, was appointed Director of the Intelligence Bureau, India's internal intelligence agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs, succeeding Tapan Kumar Deka.

Economist Ashok Lahiri was appointed Vice Chairperson of NITI Aayog, the government's premier policy think tank.

Ashwini Bhide became the first woman Municipal Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), India's richest civic body.

Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth was appointed Vice Chief of the Army Staff, a key top-tier appointment in the Indian Army's leadership.

Former Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu was sworn in as Delhi's 23rd Lieutenant Governor, replacing V.K. Saxena, who was moved to LG of Ladakh.

Deepak Gupta took over as Chairman & Managing Director of GAIL (India) Ltd, having previously served as Director (Projects), with tenure until February 2029.

Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) appointed its first-ever woman Director (Commercial), a notable milestone in the state power utility's leadership.

Praveen Kumar (1993-batch IPS) was made Director General of the BSF, Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor DG of the ITBP, and Rakesh Aggarwal (1994-batch IPS) DG of the NIA.

Formerly CMD of Northern Coalfields, B. Sairam became Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Coal India Limited, succeeding P.M. Prasad.

Retired IAS officer Raj Kumar Goyal was sworn in as Chief Information Commissioner by President Murmu, along with new Information Commissioners, restoring the Central Information Commission to full strength.

As of January 2026, Droupadi Murmu was President (15th), C.P. Radhakrishnan Vice President, Justice Surya Kant the 53rd Chief Justice of India, and Gyanesh Kumar the 26th Chief Election Commissioner.

Aparna Garg was appointed Member (Finance) of the Railway Board, part of the apex management of Indian Railways.

Raj Kumar Goel was appointed Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of India, heading the apex body under the Right to Information Act.