Service: Indian Administrative Service (IAS), 1992 batch, Madhya Pradesh cadre
Current Position: Secretary, Inter-State Council Secretariat, Ministry of Home Affairs
Appointed: April 2025
🏛️ Administrative Career
Shri Ashish Srivastava is a senior civil servant with extensive experience in both state and central government roles. Prior to his elevation as Secretary, he served as Adviser in the Inter-State Council Secretariat (ISCS), where he contributed to policy coordination and Centre–State relations. His tenure in that role was extended before his promotion to the rank of Secretary in April 2025.
He has held various important administrative positions across departments, and his work has often focused on federal coordination, governance reforms, and public service delivery.
📌 Role & Responsibilities
As Secretary of the Inter-State Council Secretariat, Shri Srivastava is responsible for promoting cooperative federalism through structured dialogue between the Union and State governments. The ISCS operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs and is tasked with:
- Organizing and facilitating meetings of the Inter-State Council and Zonal Councils
- Resolving inter-state disputes and enhancing Centre–State coordination
- Supporting policy planning, dispute resolution, and federal consultations on key issues
- Acting as a knowledge hub for inter-governmental best practices and conflict resolution mechanisms
🗂️ Recent Initiatives
- Led the organization of Zonal Council meetings to address regional concerns such as banking infrastructure, emergency response coordination, and cooperative governance
- Supported strategic dialogue between Chief Ministers and Union Ministers to improve state-level implementation of central schemes
- Advocated for institutional mechanisms to better manage inter-state migration, resource sharing, and administrative harmonization
📝 Summary
Shri Ashish Srivastava brings a wealth of administrative knowledge and a cooperative vision to the Inter-State Council Secretariat. As Secretary, his work supports the foundational goal of balanced federal governance in India, fostering structured communication between the Centre and States to enhance unity, efficiency, and mutual trust.