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| Appointments Current Affairs 2026: Latest Appointments, New Heads & MCQs |
Appointments Current Affairs 2026: Latest Appointments, New Heads, MCQs & Quick Revision
Current Status: Appointments Current Affairs is an important section of competitive-exam preparation. Questions are commonly asked about newly appointed chairpersons, directors, senior government officials, constitutional authorities, defence officers, institutional heads and international appointments.
Latest Update: Important appointment-related developments in September 2026 include new appointments in the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, senior Armed Forces Medical Services positions, Indian Air Force appointments, the appointment of Dr. Rohit Kumar Gupta as Director of JNARDDC and the appointment of judicial officers as Judges and Additional Judges of various High Courts.
Appointments Current Affairs 2026: Quick Highlights
| Person | New Appointment / Position |
|---|---|
| Bhagwat Prasad Makwana | Chairperson, National Commission for Safai Karamcharis |
| Kaishab Bihari | Vice-Chairperson, National Commission for Safai Karamcharis |
| Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja | 47th DGAFMS |
| Air Marshal Vivek Hande | DGMS (Air) |
| Air Marshal KAA Sanjeeb | Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance, IAF |
| Surgeon Vice Admiral Dilip Raghavan | Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces) |
| Surgeon Vice Admiral Manish Honwad | Director & Commandant, AFMC Pune |
| AVM Shakti Sharma | Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Education) |
| Dr. Rohit Kumar Gupta | Director, JNARDDC |
| Dr. Saibal Chattopadhyay | Chairperson, National Statistical Commission |
1. Bhagwat Prasad Makwana Appointed NCSK Chairperson
Bhagwat Prasad Makwana was appointed Chairperson of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) by the Government of India on 6 September 2026 and assumed charge on 9 September 2026.
Along with him, Kaishab Bihari was appointed Vice-Chairperson. Manoj Kumar Balmiki, Sushma Gaudiyal and Ravi Ramu Kalose were appointed as Members of the Commission.
The appointments are effective up to 31 March 2028, corresponding to the remaining tenure of the present Commission.
| Position | Appointee |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Bhagwat Prasad Makwana |
| Vice-Chairperson | Kaishab Bihari |
| Member | Manoj Kumar Balmiki |
| Member | Sushma Gaudiyal |
| Member | Ravi Ramu Kalose |
2. Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja Takes Over as 47th DGAFMS
Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja assumed the appointment of the 47th Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) on 1 September 2026.
The DGAFMS oversees comprehensive medical support for the Defence Forces. Before assuming this position, Air Marshal Thareja was serving as Director General Medical Services (Air).
His appointment had been announced by the Government in July 2026, with the new assignment taking effect after the retirement of the incumbent DGAFMS, Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, on 31 August 2026.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Appointee | Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja |
| Post | DGAFMS |
| Number | 47th DGAFMS |
| Assumed Charge | 1 September 2026 |
3. Air Marshal Vivek Hande Takes Over as DGMS (Air)
Air Marshal Vivek Hande, AVSM, VSM, took over as the Director General Medical Services (Air) on 1 September 2026 on permanent secondment to the Indian Air Force.
He is an alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, and National Defence College, New Delhi.
Before the present appointment, he served in important medical and administrative positions, including DG (Organisation & Personnel) in the Office of the DG Armed Forces Medical Services.
A notable fact for examinations is that Air Marshal Vivek Hande has served in all three Services of the Defence Forces during his career.
4. Air Marshal KAA Sanjeeb Takes Over as Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance
Air Marshal KAA Sanjeeb, AVSM, VSM assumed charge as the Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance of the Indian Air Force on 1 September 2026.
He was commissioned into the IAF on 3 September 1988 in the Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical Branch). He has extensive experience with aircraft and systems including IL-76 and AWACS.
Air Marshal KAA Sanjeeb succeeded Air Marshal Sanjiv Ghuratia, who superannuated on 31 August 2026.
| Question Point | Answer |
|---|---|
| Appointee | Air Marshal KAA Sanjeeb |
| Post | Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance, IAF |
| Date | 1 September 2026 |
| Succeeded | Air Marshal Sanjiv Ghuratia |
5. Surgeon Vice Admiral Dilip Raghavan Appointed DG Hospital Services
Surgeon Vice Admiral Dilip Raghavan, VSM assumed the appointment of Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces) on 1 September 2026.
He joined the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune in 1985 and was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 26 December 1989. He has served in several important medical appointments, including Command Medical Officer of Southern and Eastern Naval Commands and Commanding Officer of INHS Asvini, Mumbai.
He was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) on 26 January 2026 in recognition of distinguished service.
6. Surgeon Vice Admiral Manish Honwad Takes Charge as AFMC Director
Surgeon Vice Admiral Manish Honwad, VSM assumed the appointment of Director and Commandant of Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune on 1 September 2026.
He completed his MBBS from AFMC in 1989 and MD in Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine from AFMC in 1998. Before becoming Director and Commandant, he held several academic, clinical and administrative appointments, including Additional Director General Medical Services (Navy) at Naval Headquarters.
He was conferred the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2025.
7. AVM Shakti Sharma Becomes First Non-Medical Woman Two-Star Officer
Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma assumed the appointment of Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Education) at Air Headquarters on 1 September 2026.
According to the Ministry of Defence, she became the first woman officer from the non-medical stream in the Indian Defence Forces to attain the rank of Air Vice Marshal or equivalent.
She was commissioned into the Education Branch of the Indian Air Force on 18 June 1994. She also became the first woman officer from the Tri-Services to command a Sainik School when she served as Principal of Sainik School, Kapurthala.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Officer | Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma |
| New Appointment | Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Education) |
| Date | 1 September 2026 |
| Key Fact | First non-medical woman two-star officer in Indian Defence Forces |
8. Dr. Rohit Kumar Gupta Takes Charge as Director, JNARDDC
Dr. Rohit Kumar Gupta took charge as Director of the Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC) on 24 September 2026.
JNARDDC is associated with research, development and design activities related to aluminium and other areas connected with the non-ferrous metals sector. The appointment is an important recent institutional appointment from the Ministry of Mines.
For examination purposes, remember the pairing: Dr. Rohit Kumar Gupta — Director, JNARDDC.
9. Dr. Saibal Chattopadhyay Appointed Chairperson of NSC
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Dr. Saibal Chattopadhyay as Chairperson of the National Statistical Commission (NSC) in June 2026.
Along with Dr. Chattopadhyay, Prof. Shubhabrata Das, Shri Satyendra Bahadur Singh and Dr. Madhavan Mukund were appointed as Members of the Commission.
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Dr. Saibal Chattopadhyay |
| Member | Prof. Shubhabrata Das |
| Member | Shri Satyendra Bahadur Singh |
| Member | Dr. Madhavan Mukund |
10. NITI Aayog Reconstitution 2026
The Government reconstituted NITI Aayog in April 2026. Ashok Kumar Lahiri was appointed Vice Chairman, while Rajiv Gauba, Prof. K. V. Raju, Prof. Gobardhan Das, Prof. Abhay Karandikar and Dr. M. Srinivas were appointed as Full-Time Members.
This appointment is important for competitive exams because NITI Aayog is India's apex public policy think tank and its organisational appointments are frequently covered under national current affairs.
| Post | Appointee |
|---|---|
| Vice Chairman | Ashok Kumar Lahiri |
| Full-Time Member | Rajiv Gauba |
| Full-Time Member | Prof. K. V. Raju |
| Full-Time Member | Prof. Gobardhan Das |
| Full-Time Member | Prof. Abhay Karandikar |
| Full-Time Member | Dr. M. Srinivas |
11. Important High Court Appointments in September 2026
On 19 September 2026, the President appointed 14 judicial officers as Judges and Additional Judges of the Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Jharkhand and Karnataka High Courts.
| High Court | Key Appointments |
|---|---|
| Delhi High Court | Nivedita Anil Sharma, Nisha Sahay Saxena, Sanjay Sharma, Bharat Parashar, Aditi Choudhary, Dinesh Bhatt, Arun Bhardwaj |
| J&K and Ladakh High Court | Yash Paul Bourney |
| Jharkhand High Court | Manoj Prasad, Akhil Kumar, Ram Sharma |
| Karnataka High Court | Usharani, K.S. Bharath Kumar, Nerale V. Bhavani |
12. Other Important Appointment Updates
Vinai Kumar Saxena and Jammu & Kashmir
On 8 September 2026, President Droupadi Murmu appointed Vinai Kumar Saxena, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, to discharge the functions of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in addition to his own duties during the absence, on leave, of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Archana Varma – Department of Water Resources
Archana Varma, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Assam cadre, assumed charge as Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, on 12 August 2026.
K. S. Somasekhar – Rajya Sabha Secretariat
Dr. K. S. Somasekhar was appointed Secretary in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat with effect from 18 April 2026.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa
In September 2026, UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Martin Kimani of Kenya as Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations.
13. Appointments Current Affairs One-Liners
- Bhagwat Prasad Makwana: Chairperson, National Commission for Safai Karamcharis.
- Kaishab Bihari: Vice-Chairperson, National Commission for Safai Karamcharis.
- NCSK appointment tenure: Effective up to 31 March 2028.
- Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja: 47th DGAFMS.
- Air Marshal Vivek Hande: DGMS (Air).
- Air Marshal KAA Sanjeeb: Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance, IAF.
- Surgeon Vice Admiral Dilip Raghavan: Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces).
- Surgeon Vice Admiral Manish Honwad: Director and Commandant, AFMC Pune.
- Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma: Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Education).
- Shakti Sharma: First non-medical woman two-star officer in the Indian Defence Forces.
- Dr. Rohit Kumar Gupta: Director, JNARDDC.
- Dr. Saibal Chattopadhyay: Chairperson, National Statistical Commission.
- Ashok Kumar Lahiri: Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.
- Rajiv Gauba: Full-Time Member, NITI Aayog.
- Vinai Kumar Saxena: Assigned additional charge of Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir during Manoj Sinha's absence on leave.
- Archana Varma: Secretary, Department of Water Resources, RD & GR.
- Dr. K. S. Somasekhar: Secretary, Rajya Sabha Secretariat.
- Martin Kimani: UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa.
14. Appointments Quick Revision Table
| Person | Appointment |
|---|---|
| Bhagwat Prasad Makwana | Chairperson, NCSK |
| Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja | 47th DGAFMS |
| Air Marshal Vivek Hande | DGMS (Air) |
| Air Marshal KAA Sanjeeb | Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance, IAF |
| Dilip Raghavan | DG Hospital Services (Armed Forces) |
| Manish Honwad | Director & Commandant, AFMC Pune |
| Shakti Sharma | Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Education) |
| Rohit Kumar Gupta | Director, JNARDDC |
| Saibal Chattopadhyay | Chairperson, NSC |
| Ashok Kumar Lahiri | Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog |
15. Appointments Current Affairs MCQs
Q1. Who has been appointed Chairperson of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis in 2026?
A. Kaishab Bihari
B. Bhagwat Prasad Makwana
C. Manoj Kumar Balmiki
D. Kishor Makwana
Answer: B. Bhagwat Prasad Makwana
Q2. Who has been appointed Vice-Chairperson of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis?
A. Ravi Ramu Kalose
B. Kaishab Bihari
C. Sushma Gaudiyal
D. Manoj Kumar Balmiki
Answer: B. Kaishab Bihari
Q3. Who became the 47th Director General Armed Forces Medical Services?
A. Vivek Hande
B. Dilip Raghavan
C. Sandeep Thareja
D. Manish Honwad
Answer: C. Sandeep Thareja
Q4. Who took over as DGMS (Air) in September 2026?
A. Sandeep Thareja
B. Vivek Hande
C. KAA Sanjeeb
D. Dilip Raghavan
Answer: B. Vivek Hande
Q5. Who took over as Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance of the Indian Air Force?
A. Vivek Hande
B. KAA Sanjeeb
C. Sandeep Thareja
D. Shakti Sharma
Answer: B. KAA Sanjeeb
Q6. Who assumed the appointment of Director and Commandant of AFMC Pune?
A. Dilip Raghavan
B. Sandeep Thareja
C. Manish Honwad
D. Vivek Hande
Answer: C. Manish Honwad
Q7. Who became the first non-medical woman two-star officer in the Indian Defence Forces?
A. Air Marshal Vivek Hande
B. Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma
C. Air Marshal KAA Sanjeeb
D. Surgeon Vice Admiral Manish Honwad
Answer: B. Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma
Q8. Who took charge as Director of JNARDDC in September 2026?
A. Saibal Chattopadhyay
B. Dr. Rohit Kumar Gupta
C. Rajiv Gauba
D. K. V. Raju
Answer: B. Dr. Rohit Kumar Gupta
Q9. Who was appointed Chairperson of the National Statistical Commission?
A. Rajiv Gauba
B. Ashok Kumar Lahiri
C. Dr. Saibal Chattopadhyay
D. Prof. Abhay Karandikar
Answer: C. Dr. Saibal Chattopadhyay
Q10. Who was appointed Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog in 2026?
A. Ashok Kumar Lahiri
B. Rajiv Gauba
C. K. V. Raju
D. Gobardhan Das
Answer: A. Ashok Kumar Lahiri
Q11. Who was appointed Secretary of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat with effect from 18 April 2026?
A. Archana Varma
B. Saibal Chattopadhyay
C. Dr. K. S. Somasekhar
D. Rajiv Gauba
Answer: C. Dr. K. S. Somasekhar
Q12. Who was appointed by the UN Secretary-General as Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in September 2026?
A. Khalilur Rahman
B. Martin Kimani
C. António Guterres
D. Jean-Pierre Lacroix
Answer: B. Martin Kimani
16. Important Numbers & Dates
| Date / Number | Important Point |
|---|---|
| 1 September 2026 | Several senior Defence appointments took effect |
| 6 September 2026 | NCSK appointments made by Government |
| 9 September 2026 | Bhagwat Prasad Makwana assumed charge as NCSK Chairperson |
| 19 September 2026 | 14 judicial officers appointed as Judges/Additional Judges |
| 24 September 2026 | Dr. Rohit Kumar Gupta took charge as Director, JNARDDC |
| 47th | Number of DGAFMS – Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja |
| 31 March 2028 | Remaining tenure date for the present NCSK appointments |
17. Why Appointments Current Affairs Matter for Exams
Appointments are among the most direct question areas in Current Affairs. A single question can test the person appointed, the organisation, the exact designation or the date on which the person assumed charge.
While preparing this topic, candidates should revise appointments in the following format:
- Person + Post: Memorise the name and designation together.
- Organisation: Identify the institution, commission, ministry or service.
- Date: Separate the appointment-announcement date from the charge-taking date.
- Previous Office: Remember the previous position only when it is relevant to the current appointment.
- Special Fact: Note records such as first woman officer, first appointment or numbered office where officially documented.
18. Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Who is the Chairperson of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis in 2026?
Bhagwat Prasad Makwana was appointed Chairperson of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis.
Q2. Who is the 47th DGAFMS?
Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja assumed the appointment of the 47th Director General Armed Forces Medical Services.
Q3. Who is the DGMS (Air) in September 2026?
Air Marshal Vivek Hande took over as DGMS (Air) on 1 September 2026.
Q4. Who is the Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance of the IAF?
Air Marshal KAA Sanjeeb assumed the appointment on 1 September 2026.
Q5. Who is the Director and Commandant of AFMC Pune?
Surgeon Vice Admiral Manish Honwad assumed the appointment on 1 September 2026.
Q6. Who became the first non-medical woman two-star officer in the Indian Defence Forces?
Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma became the first woman officer from the non-medical stream to attain the rank of Air Vice Marshal or equivalent in the Indian Defence Forces.
Q7. Who is the Director of JNARDDC?
Dr. Rohit Kumar Gupta took charge as Director of JNARDDC on 24 September 2026.
Q8. Who is the Chairperson of the National Statistical Commission?
Dr. Saibal Chattopadhyay was appointed Chairperson of the National Statistical Commission.
Q9. Who is the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog appointed in the 2026 reconstitution?
Ashok Kumar Lahiri was appointed Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog.
Final Takeaway
Appointments Current Affairs 2026 covers important changes in India's constitutional, administrative, defence, judicial and institutional leadership. For September 2026, candidates should especially remember the appointments of Bhagwat Prasad Makwana, Sandeep Thareja, Vivek Hande, KAA Sanjeeb, Dilip Raghavan, Manish Honwad, Shakti Sharma and Rohit Kumar Gupta.
The most effective revision method is to learn every appointment as a pair: Person → Post. For higher-level questions, also remember the organisation, date and any officially documented special fact connected with the appointment.
Important Note
This article is based on information available up to 26 September 2026. Appointment announcements and assumption-of-charge dates can be different. Candidates should verify any later development from the concerned official authority before an examination.
Disclaimer
This current-affairs article is prepared for educational and competitive-examination purposes. The information has been compiled from official government and institutional sources available at the time of preparation. Later changes, transfers, extensions or fresh appointments may not be reflected in this version.
