The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Nidhi Tewari as the Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with immediate effect. A 2014-batch IFS officer, Tewari has been serving in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) since 2022.

Tewari, who secured the 96th rank in the Civil Services Examination 2013, hails from Mehmurganj in Varanasi—Prime Minister Modi’s parliamentary constituency since 2014.

She has an impressive track record, having been honored with the Ambassador Bimal Sanyal Memorial Medal for Best Officer Trainee and the Best Dissertation Medal in 2016.

Since January 2023, she has been serving as Deputy Secretary in the PMO’s ‘Foreign and Security’ vertical, reporting to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Her portfolio has included External Affairs, Atomic Energy, and Security Affairs, as well as overseeing Rajasthan-related matters. Previously, she worked in the Disarmament and International Security Affairs Division of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Before joining the civil services, Tewari was an Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Tax) in Varanasi, balancing her job while preparing for the competitive examination. With over three years of experience at the PMO, she now succeeds Vivek Kumar and Hardik Satishchandra Shah as the Prime Minister’s Private Secretary.