Dr. Sajjan Singh Yadav Biography: From Delhi’s Troubled Water Utility to J&K Chief Secretary

On October 24, 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs ordered the transfer of Dr. Sajjan Singh Yadav from Delhi to Jammu and Kashmir, posting him as the union territory’s Chief Secretary effective November 1, 2026, or from his date of joining, whichever is later.

The move capped a whirlwind year for the 1995-batch IAS officer, who had been appointed Additional Chief Secretary and CEO of the Delhi Jal Board less than five months earlier, on June 9, 2026, inheriting a water utility the Comptroller and Auditor General of India had just described in damning terms, non-revenue water losses as high as 53 percent, outstanding loans of ₹66,595 crore, and a warning that without swift reform, the capital’s water and sewerage infrastructure risked total collapse.

Dr. Sajjan Singh Yadav is a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1995 batch, AGMUT cadre, appointed Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir in October 2026, after most recently serving as Additional Chief Secretary and CEO of the Delhi Jal Board, Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) for the Government of Delhi, and Chairperson of the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC).

Profile

Education

Yadav holds a doctorate in public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), along with a Master of Public Administration in Economics from Harvard University and a Master of Public Administration in Public Policy from the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. He also holds an MBA in Finance from the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi.

Entry Into the Civil Service

Yadav joined the Indian Administrative Service in the 1995 batch, allotted to the AGMUT cadre, which covers Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and India’s Union Territories, including Delhi.

His first major field posting was in Mizoram, and he went on to serve as District Magistrate and Deputy Commissioner of East Kameng and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, as well as South Delhi, over a career spanning roughly three decades in policy formulation and senior leadership roles across central and state governments.

Career Across Central Ministries and Delhi Government

Over his career, Yadav has held roles spanning the Ministries of Finance, Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development, Heavy Industry, and Public Enterprises and Corporate Affairs at the central government level. His notable postings have included Mission Director of the National Nutrition Mission (POSHAN Abhiyan), Director of the National Rural Health Mission, Commissioner of Food and Supplies for Delhi, an earlier leadership role at the Delhi Jal Board, VAT Commissioner, Commissioner of Excise, Entertainment and Luxury Tax, and Commissioner of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation. He has also served as Advisor to the administrations of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. On March 31, 2026, he was elevated to Special Secretary in the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, after being empanelled for Secretary-level rank in the Government of India — a significant milestone late in his career.

Appointment to the Delhi Jal Board

On June 9, 2026, roughly two months after his elevation to Special Secretary at the Centre, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Yadav’s premature repatriation to the AGMUT cadre to take up the post of Additional Chief Secretary and CEO of the Delhi Jal Board, succeeding D. Vaidya. He simultaneously received additional charge as Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) for the Government of Delhi and as Chairperson of the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation. The appointment came as Delhi’s water utility faced intense public scrutiny: a CAG Performance Audit Report tabled in the Delhi Legislative Assembly on March 23, 2026, found that potable water shortfalls had risen to nearly 26 percent, transmission losses had increased to 21 percent, non-revenue water losses from leaks, theft and unmetered supply ran between 51 and 53 percent — costing the board an estimated ₹4,988 crore in lost revenue — and that outstanding loans and interest had reached ₹66,595 crore as of March 2022. The report also found inadequate water-quality testing and warned that without swift reform, Delhi’s water and sewerage infrastructure risked collapse. Yadav’s appointment was framed as drawing on his experience in urban governance, public utilities and infrastructure management to address these systemic challenges; reporting at the time noted it marked the second occasion on which he had taken charge as the Delhi Jal Board’s CEO, having held the post in an earlier posting as well. Later that June, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu further reshuffled the board’s leadership, appointing DANICS officers Vaibhav Rikhari and Vinay Kumar Jindal as additional directors to strengthen its management team.

Appointment as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary

On October 24, 2026, after less than five months at the helm of the Delhi Jal Board, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order transferring Yadav out of Delhi and appointing him Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, effective November 1, 2026, or from his date of joining, whichever is later. The appointment represents one of the most senior administrative postings of his career, placing him in charge of the union territory’s civil administration. Available reporting at the time of the announcement did not specify the reasoning behind the transfer or name his predecessor or successor at the Delhi Jal Board.

Author and Public Health Writing

Beyond his civil service career, Yadav is the author of India’s Vaccine Growth Story: From Cowpox to Vaccine Maitri, a national bestseller on India’s vaccine ecosystem and immunization history, which has been translated into Spanish and sixteen Indian languages. He also authored Scaling Mount UPSC: 7 IAS Officers’ Journeys, chronicling the career paths of fellow civil servants, and has published widely in national and international journals, magazines and newspapers.

Awards and Recognition

Yadav received the National e-Governance Award for 2017–18 and the President of India’s medal for outstanding work in census operations.

Career Timeline

Zeez

Zeez is the editor and founder of BioOrbit, where he researches and writes biographies of public figures from Nigeria and around the world. With 5 years of experience writing about news, entertainment, sports and politics, Zeez focuses on verified facts, clear sourcing and regular updates. Found an error? Report a correction.