From Manipur administration to NCSC, Vivek Kumar Dewangen gets key constitutional responsibility (Img source: Google)
New Delhi: Senior IAS officer Vivek Kumar Dewangen, a 1993-batch officer of the Manipur cadre, has been appointed Secretary of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
The appointment has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) and will take effect from the date he assumes charge. Dewangen will hold the post at the rank and pay of Additional Secretary until his superannuation or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Dewangen is presently serving as Additional Chief Secretary, Tribal Affairs and Hills in the Manipur government. His current assignment has provided him with extensive administrative exposure to tribal affairs, hill-area governance and the implementation of public welfare and development programmes.
His appointment to the NCSC marks a transition to a constitutional institution entrusted with monitoring the implementation of safeguards available to Scheduled Castes and examining complaints relating to the deprivation of their rights and entitlements.
As Secretary, Dewangen will be responsible for providing administrative and institutional support to the Commission, facilitating coordination with Union ministries and state governments and ensuring effective follow-up on matters arising from the Commission's inquiries, reviews and recommendations.
Dewangen brings more than three decades of experience across state administration, the Central Government and the public sector. Before his present assignment in Manipur, he served as Chairman and Managing Director of REC Limited taking charge of the power-sector financing company in May 2022. He had earlier served in senior positions in the Ministry of Power, including as Additional Secretary.
During his career, Dewangen has handled assignments across several important policy and administrative domains, including power, petroleum and natural gas, economic affairs, commerce and industry, law and justice, rural development and education. He has also held responsibilities relating to finance, elections, agriculture, food processing, sericulture, cooperation, revenue administration and Panchayati Raj.
His administrative experience includes field postings in Chhattisgarh and Manipur, besides senior-level assignments involving policy formulation, inter-ministerial coordination and institutional management.
At REC Limited, Dewangen headed a major public-sector financial institution involved in financing projects across the power generation, transmission and distribution segments. His tenure there gave him exposure to infrastructure financing, institutional governance and the execution of government policy in the energy sector.
Dewangen holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electronics from NIT Bhopal and a postgraduate qualification in Optoelectronics and Optical Communication from IIT Delhi.
His appointment comes against the backdrop of the continuing emphasis on effective implementation of constitutional safeguards and welfare measures for Scheduled Castes. The NCSC's work involves sustained engagement with Central and state authorities on issues concerning social justice, representation, safeguards and socio-economic advancement.
With experience spanning field administration, policy-making, infrastructure financing and senior-level government coordination, Dewangen is expected to bring substantial administrative experience to the Commission as it discharges its constitutional mandate.
