Atal Dulloo Biography: J&K’s Outgoing Chief Secretary Hands Over After Nearly Three Years

As Atal Dulloo approached his scheduled October 31, 2026, retirement as Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre weighed whether to grant him a one-year extension or name a successor.

The answer came on October 24, 2026 , his 60th birthday , when the Ministry of Home Affairs ordered Dr. Sajjan Singh Yadav transferred from the Delhi Jal Board to take over as J&K Chief Secretary effective November 1, 2026, ending Dulloo’s nearly three-year tenure atop the union territory’s civil administration.

Atal Dulloo is a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1989 batch, Jammu and Kashmir cadre, who served as Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir from December 2023 until his succession by Dr. Sajjan Singh Yadav in late October 2026.

Profile

Education and Entry Into the Civil Service

Dulloo was born on October 24, 1966. He holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Civil Engineering and joined the Indian Administrative Service in the 1989 batch, allotted to the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir cadre.

Career in Jammu and Kashmir Administration

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Dulloo held a wide range of senior administrative posts within Jammu and Kashmir’s government, including Deputy Commissioner, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Commissioner and Secretary, Principal Secretary, and Financial Commissioner across various departments. He served prominently in agriculture production and in health and medical education within the J&K administration. At the central government level, he served as Secretary, Border Management, under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, before later being repatriated to the Jammu and Kashmir cadre, where he was redesignated as Additional Chief Secretary ahead of his eventual elevation to the top administrative post. He received the State Award for meritorious public service in 2013 and a Silver Medal for his role in conducting elections in Jammu and Kashmir in 1996.

Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir

The Centre appointed Dulloo Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir effective December 1, 2023, succeeding Arun Kumar Mehta, who retired the previous day. The appointment followed Dulloo’s repatriation from Central Deputation and placed him atop the union territory’s civil administration “until further orders.” During his tenure, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s administration emphasized initiatives including a stated zero-tolerance policy toward drugs in the region.

Extension Deliberations and Succession

As Dulloo approached his scheduled retirement on October 31, 2026, the Centre considered granting him a one-year extension that would have kept him in office through October 2027, according to reporting in early October 2026. At the same time, officials were weighing potential successors, including Shaleen Kabra, a 1992-batch AGMUT cadre officer then serving as Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary) of the Jal Shakti Department. Reports at the time noted that the choice of Chief Secretary was not governed strictly by batch seniority, but also considered suitability, current assignment, administrative experience and the union territory’s needs. The extension was ultimately not granted: on October 24, 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs instead ordered the transfer of Dr. Sajjan Singh Yadav, a 1995-batch AGMUT cadre officer then serving as Additional Chief Secretary and CEO of the Delhi Jal Board, to take over as J&K Chief Secretary effective November 1, 2026, bringing Dulloo’s tenure to a close.

Career Timeline

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