Born: 12 February 1968, Jammu
Service: Indian Administrative Service (IAS), 1992 batch, Jharkhand cadre
Current Position: Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution (since 1 April 2024)
Additional Charge: Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (from January 2025, additional charge)
🎓 Education & Early Career
- Completed schooling in Dehradun and Lucknow
- Master’s degree in Biochemistry
- Joined the IAS in 1992 and served as District Collector in Madhubani, Jamshedpur, and Dumka
🏛️ Government Service
Central Government
- Held roles as Joint Secretary in several ministries, including Home Affairs, Environment, and Finance
- As Joint Secretary (DBT), played a key role in implementing Direct Benefit Transfers for LPG, scholarships, pensions, and MGNREGA payments
- Later served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs, where she was a driving force behind establishing the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA). As its first Chief Commissioner, she initiated over 240 cases and disposed of 85—covering taxi refunds, faulty appliances, misleading coaching claims, and more
- Promoted to Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs in April 2024
State Government (Jharkhand)
- Served as Secretary of Commercial Taxes (2015–2016), introducing business intelligence tools to simplify taxation and curb evasion under the GST rollout
- As Principal Secretary (Personnel, Administrative Reforms & Rajbhasha, 2016–2018), digitized HR records and secured horizontal reservation benefits for tribal groups
- As Principal Secretary (Health & Medical Education, from March 2018), oversaw the rollout of Ayushman Bharat and facilitated the establishment of eight medical colleges
📌 Key Initiatives & Impacts
- Led consumer protection strategies against “dark patterns” in e-commerce and launched hackathons alongside IIT BHU to develop detection tools
- Spearheaded the e-Daakhil online complaint portal, including WhatsApp integration, and implemented virtual hearings through the e-Jagriti platform
- Strengthened the National Consumer Helpline with AI support, boosting call handling capacity and resolving pre-litigation complaints within 7 days
- Advocated for mandatory hallmarking, modernization of testing labs (BIS and NTH), and higher quality benchmarks
- Prioritized product quality compliance by MSMEs, as reflected in her urging businesses to adopt both mandatory and voluntary standards
📝 Summary
Ms. Nidhi Khare is a highly capable bureaucrat with deep expertise in governance, technology-driven administration, and consumer protection. Since April 2024, she has led India’s efforts to safeguard consumer rights and modernize consumer grievance mechanisms. Her initiatives reflect a forward-thinking, citizen-focused strategy grounded in transparency and innovation.