Draft:Suresh Kumar

Suresh Kumar is an Indian Administrative Service officer (Retd) and former Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Punjab. With more than four decades in public administration, he has served as a key figure in policy-making, governance reforms, economic administration, rural development, water and power sector management, cooperative restructuring, and institutional strengthening. His work has extended across multiple sectors within the Government of Punjab and the Government of India, including collaborations on World Bank and UN supported development programmes. Even after retirement, he remains actively engaged in research, advisory work, policy development, and thought leadership in governance and public affairs.

Early life and education

Suresh Kumar was born on 4 April 1956 in Sonepat, Haryana, India. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Commerce from 1973 to 1976 and pursued a Master's degree in Commerce at the University of Delhi from 1976 to 1978. In 1994–95, he completed a Master’s degree in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics, University of London, specialising in education and rural development. His academic grounding shaped his future work in public administration, social sector policy and development planning.

Civil service career

Suresh Kumar joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1983 and served across senior field, secretariat and national-level positions until 2021. His career spans policy formulation, development planning, programme implementation, public finance management, administrative reforms, project execution and governance innovation.

Major appointments in the Government of Punjab include:

• Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Punjab (17 March 2017 – 18 September 2021)
• Financial Commissioner Development and Principal Secretary, Water Supply and Sanitation (1 April 2013 – 8 December 2014; Additional Chief Secretary (Development) with Water Supply and Sanitation 8 December 2014 – 30 April 2016)
• Principal Secretary, Water Supply and Sanitation; Science, Technology and Environment (31 December 2012 – 31 March 2013)
• Principal Secretary, Local Government (19 March 2012 – 31 December 2012)
• Financial Commissioner, Cooperation and Principal Secretary, Technical Education and Industrial Training; Chairman, Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training (2010–2012)
• Principal Secretary, Irrigation and Power (26 June 2008 – 14 December 2009)
• Secretary, Irrigation and Power (13 March 2007 – 25 June 2008)
• Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister (19 December 2003 – 13 March 2007)
• Chief Administrator, Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (May 2003 – November 2003)
• Excise and Taxation Commissioner (April 2002 – May 2003)
• Registrar, Cooperative Societies (June 1999 – April 2002)
• Director, Technical Education and Industrial Training (May 1992 – March 1993)
• Deputy Commissioner, Ferozepur (August 1990 – May 1992)
• Joint Commissioner, Excise and Taxation (February 1989 – August 1990)
• Additional Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar (February 1987 – February 1989)
• SDO (Civil), Talwandi Sabo (August 1985 – February 1987)

Assignments with the Government of India:

• Deputy Secretary (Training) (March 1993 – October 1994)
• Private Secretary to the Minister of State for Education (December 1995 – June 1996)
• Deputy Secretary, Elementary Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development (June 1996 – March 1997)

He also served with the United Nations system as Consultant and National Programme Manager for the UN System Community-Based Primary Education Programme (1997–1999).

Professional experience and focus

His work covers:

• Education, agriculture, rural development, taxation, cooperatives, water governance, power and local government administration
• Governance, public administration reforms and business process re-engineering
• Programme design and project execution with World Bank and UN agencies
• High-level governance coordination as Principal Secretary and Chief Principal Secretary

Prominent achievements

Suresh Kumar has contributed to several landmark policies and development projects including:

• Punjab Anti-Red Tape Act 2021
• Punjab Social Security Fund Act 2019
• Punjab Slum Dwellers (Proprietary Rights) Act 2020
• Punjab Municipal Property (Management and Transfer) Act 2020
• Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Vikas Yojna 2018
• Second Punjab Rural Drinking Water Supply & Sanitation Project (World Bank US $354M)
• Punjab Rural Water Supply Policy 2014
• First World Bank Rural Water & Sanitation Project (US $154M)
• State Agriculture Diversification Plan (Rs 8775 Cr)
• Core Banking Solutions for Cooperatives (2015)
• Technical Education & ITI Upgradation Policy (World Bank supported)
• Three power plants: Talwandi Sabo (1980MW), Rajpura (1320MW), Goindwal Sahib (540MW) with private investment over 20,000 Cr
• Water resource development projects worth Rs 7352 Cr
• Punjab Business Process Re-engineering Report (2008)
• Punjab State Water Policy (2007–08)
• Power Sector Reforms Roadmap (2010)
• VAT implementation in Punjab (2005)
• Cooperative reforms (1999–2002)
• UN Primary Education Programme formulation (1997–99)
• Inter-State Teacher Exchange Programme (1997–99)
• Headed Elementary Education Division at MHRD
• Fundamental Right to Education Report (1997)
• Mid-Day Meal Scheme roll-out for 110 million children (1995–96)
• Operation Blackboard implementation (1995–96)
• Working Group for Ninth Plan – Elementary Education
• Technician Education Development Programme (1992–93)
• Punjab Technical Education Board Act 1993
• IAS Training Programme Design (1993–94)
• Decentralised planning training post 73rd Amendment
• Integrated Rural Development Programme assisting 20,000 families (1987–92)

Education and training

He has undertaken extensive training, notable programmes include:

• SDG Academy: Global Water Crisis (2024), Ethics in Action (2024)
• IMF: Debt Sustainability Framework (2022)
• World Bank OLC: Digital Agriculture, Smart Cities, Quality Infrastructure (2022)
• University of Edinburgh: Sustainable Global Food Systems (2022)
• World Bank programmes on data, trade, global value chains (2020–2021)
• UC Berkeley: Writing for Social Justice (2019)
• LBSNAA Mid-Career Phase V (2011)
• Columbia University Governance Programme (2011)
• IIM Bangalore Agriculture & Rural Development (2011)
• Public Governance Ethics, IC Centre (2009)
• Leadership Seminar, Denver USA (2009)
• International workshops in Nepal, Thailand, Mexico, China, Austria (1994–2012)
• TERI Energy & Development (1994)
• IIM Ahmedabad Industrial Policy (1989)
• NIC Computer & IT training (1988)

Honours, awards and memberships

• Advisor, Global Policy Insights (2022–present)
• Independent Director, Vardhman Textiles Ltd (from 2022)
• Independent Director, United Phosphates Ltd (UPL) (from 2022)
• International Policy Fellow, CSaP Cambridge (2019–2023)
• TIGR2ESS Project – Cambridge University (2020–2022)
• Member-Convener, Inter-UN Working Group on Primary Education
• Member, UN Gender Database Group
• UK ODA Scholarship – LSE
• Second rank in university (1976)
• Merit certificate and national scholarship
• Merit certificate for fourth rank at Delhi University M.Com (1978)

Papers and publications

His writings cover governance, economy, agriculture, water, federalism and social policy. Articles published in Hindustan Times, The Tribune, Economic Times Government, Daily World, Millennium Post, The Print and others.

Recent publications include:

• Punjab's floods: A national challenge beyond politics (2025)
• Beyond good governance: India must embrace adaptive leadership (2025)
• Punjab on brink: Myths, misgovernance to reforms (2025)
• Indus Water Treaty and peace in South Asia (2025)
• India’s shift from green revolution to sustainability (2025)

Key research papers:

• Financing Agricultural Operations (2011)
• Obstacles in Girls’ Education (1998)
• Papers on UN aid coordination, women literacy, rural governance and education reforms

Language and computer skills

• English, Hindi, Punjabi
• Skilled in word processing, database & spreadsheets

Personal life and interests

Suresh Kumar lives in Chandigarh, India. He enjoys reading, writing, cricket and badminton, and continues active engagement in advisory work, lectures and governance research.

Contact

Home Address: House No. 618, Sector 16, Chandigarh, India Phone: +91-9501015261 Email: sureshkumarnangia@gmail.com

Gallery

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  Suresh Kumar, and his wife Dr Anita Nangia with elder son Vaibhav and his daughter Roohi
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  Suresh Kumar, with wife Dr Anita Nangia and younger son Anish Nangia and his wife Shilpa.
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  Suresh Kumar and his wife Dr Anita Nangia with their elder son Vaibhav Nangia and his wife Anumeha with their daughter Roohi
• 
  Suresh Kumar and his wife Dr Anita Nangia

Public Policy References

• Democracy prevails despite political fluctuations – Hindustan Times
• Our country needs more participatory governance – Hindustan Times
• Governance paradigm shift: Majoritarian authoritarianism vs participatory democracy – ET Government
• Changing governance paradigms – Hindustan Times epaper
• Opinions differ, but differences matter – Hindustan Times
• Financial centralisation threat to federal structure – Hindustan Times epaper
• Good governance more essential than economic growth – ET Government
• Cooperatives present a democratic business model – ET Government
• Leveraging bureaucracy for effective public service delivery – Hindustan Times
• Pandemic unveils the politics of expertise – Hindustan Times
• Politics of policymaking – Millennium Post
• Transition to evidence-based policies – Hindustan Times epaper
• Thriving in harmony – Millennium Post
• Stubble trouble Part-II – Hindustan Times epaper
• Repeal of farm laws reflects fading institutional memory – Hindustan Times epaper
• Fiscal management & public debt – Hindustan Times epaper
• Punjab issues need attention – Hindustan Times epaper
• Is change in Punjab for real? – Tribune
• Changing imperatives of governance – Hindustan Times epaper
• It’s time to reboot India’s broken policy machine – Hindustan Times

Sustainability & Governance References

• Towards sustainable governance – ET Government
• Towards sustainable governance, embracing change for collective welfare – Hindustan Times
• Water Governance: Unlocking Sustainable Development in Punjab – Hindustan Times (Linked reference)
• Water Governance: Unlocking Sustainable Development in Punjab – ET Government
• Punjab's water woes: Beneficiary states should share burden – HT epaper
• Sustainable development needs comprehensive roadmap – HT epaper
• Perceived limitations of MDGs forced SDGs – ET Government
• Balancing heritage with sustainable development – ET Government
• Stubble trouble: Are farmers solely to blame? – ET Government
• Sutlej river basin needs integrated management – HT epaper
• Buddha Nallah: A toxic story of industrialisation – Tribune
• Leveraging history in policymaking – ET Government
• Disconnect in farm governance (related to sustainability) – HT epaper
• Stubble trouble Part-II – HT epaper
• AI in governance – ET Government
• Reclaiming integrity through transparent governance – HT epaper
• Media moderation in governance – HT epaper
• The travel spice: An avoidable bitterness – Daily World

Agriculture & Food Systems References

• Diversify MSP to empower farmers – Tribune
• What ails Indian agriculture? – Daily World (Linked reference)
• Need to enhance resilience of farmers – Daily World epaper
• Farmers hit the road again, govt at crossroads – HT epaper
• Agricultural transformation demands intensive care – ET Government
• Disconnect in agricultural governance: bridging the gap – ET Government
• Punjab’s agriculture policy needs to be more nuanced – Hindustan Times
• Withering cotton cultivation in Punjab – HT epaper
• Add value to agriculture for its transformation – Hindustan Times
• Sri Lankan economy collapsed due to flawed agriculture policy – ET Government
• Why diversification hasn't enthused farmers – Daily World epaper PDF
• Farm legislations fail to enthuse farmers – ET Government
• In the end, right remains right – Tribune epaper
• Disconnect in farm governance – HT epaper
• Address inherent flaws & disparities in NEET – Hindustan Times

Budget & Finances References

• Aligning fund devolution with changing growth imperatives – Hindustan Times
• Navigating the future of finance in Punjab – HT epaper
• Corporate governance in PSEs: BRSR fundamentals – ET Government
• How private is private investment? – ET Government
• Thriving in harmony – Millennium Post
• Withering cotton cultivation in Punjab (linked to economic context) – HT epaper
• AI in governance: strategic investments & collaboration – ET Government
• Indus Water Treaty sustains fragile hope of peace – Hindustan Times (Linked reference)