Born: 17 April 1967
Service: Indian Administrative Service (IAS), 1990 batch, Odisha cadre
Current Position: Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution (since 31 October 2022; tenure extends until April 2027)
🎓 Education & Early Career
Shri Chopra holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree and an MBA from Delhi University’s Faculty of Management Studies. He also earned an LL.B. from Utkal University and an M.Sc. in Urban Planning from the London School of Economics.
He began his administrative career as Sub-Collector of Baripada (Odisha) in the early 1990s.
🏛️ Career Trajectory
- District Administration: Served as District Collector and Magistrate in Koraput from 1995 to 1997.
- State-Level Roles: Held leadership positions including Principal Secretary in departments of Industries, General Administration, Agriculture, Home and as Chairman of Odisha state PSUs in industrial promotion, infrastructure and mining sectors.
- Central Training & Governance: Worked at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (2007–2014) as Senior Deputy Director and Joint Director, overseeing mid-career IAS training.
đź“Ś Secretary, Food & Public Distribution
Appointed Secretary of the Department on 31 October 2022. In this senior role with Cabinet-rank status, he oversees:
- Procurement, storage, and distribution of food grains across the public distribution system (PDS)
- Administration of the National Food Security Act
- Policy direction for the sugar and edible oils sectors
- Supply-chain optimization programs like FCI’s route rationalization
In April 2025, he visited Jammu & Kashmir to assess the efficiency and quality of PDS operations in the region.
🏅 Recognition
He has been honored with National e-Governance Awards in 2020 and 2021 for excellence in digital transformation and government process re-engineering.
đź“ť Summary
Shri Sanjeev Chopra is a seasoned civil servant whose multidisciplinary leadership combines district administration, public-sector management, and policy innovation. As Secretary of Food & Public Distribution, he plays a vital role in India’s food security framework, assisted by his policy insight, governance experience, and commitment to digital modernization.