Current Affairs - Awards and Honours - Discussion

Keshav Chandra, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory) cadre, assumed charge as the Secretary of the Ministry of Mines on July 27, 2026. As Secretary, he will oversee key areas such as mineral exploration, auction and operationalisation of mineral blocks, and the development and management of critical and strategic minerals. He will also be responsible for implementing policies aimed at strengthening India's mining sector. The Ministry of Mines administers the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and supervises organisations such as the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM).