Nidhi Tewari, IFS Officer From PM Modi’s Constituency, His New Private Secretary

Nidhi Tewari, an officer from the 2014 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, will assume the role of the next private secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She is presently working as the Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, also known as PMO. Her new position is designated as Level 12 in the salary matrix and will coincide with her existing role or until new instructions are communicated, according to the note from the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), which announced her appointment today.

“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Ms Nidhi Tewari, IFS (2014), currently serving as Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, in Level 12 of the pay matrix with immediate effect, on a co-terminus basis or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” read the order issued by the Ministry of Personnel on March 29.

Ms. Tewari, potentially one of the youngest officials in the role, hails from Mehmurganj in Varanasi, the constituency that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has represented in parliament since 2014. Prior to passing the Civil Services Examination, Ms. Tewari was employed as the Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Tax) in Varanasi. A news channel reported that she achieved the 96th position in the exam organized by the Union Public Services Commission.

Prior to becoming part of the PMO, she was employed in the Disarmament and International Security Affairs Division of the foreign ministry. In 2022, she became part of the Prime Minister’s Office as Under Secretary and advanced to the role of Deputy Secretary in 2023.

At the Prime Minister’s Office, she worked in the ‘Foreign and Security’ department, handling matters related to foreign relations, security, and nuclear energy. Her knowledge in international relations enabled her to take on a significant role, and she reported directly to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Her extensive expertise was demonstrated to be vital during India’s G20 presidency.