In a significant development, the Central Government has appointed four senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers from the 1989 batch as Members of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the top policy-making body overseeing direct tax administration in India. These appointments fill long-standing vacancies on the board.
According to an official order issued by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has cleared the names of:
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Pankaj Kumar Mishra, who was serving as Member (Finance) at the Atomic Energy Commission,
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Sanjay Bahadur, former Principal Director General of Income Tax (Training), Delhi,
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L. Rajasekhar Reddy, who held the post of Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (TDS) for Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry,
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G. Aparna Rao, former Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax-1 for Bengaluru, Karnataka, and Goa.
The CBDT, functioning under the Ministry of Finance, plays a pivotal role in policy formulation, tax administration, and the implementation of key direct tax reforms. It also leads efforts to strengthen compliance and tackle tax evasion.
A senior official from the Finance Ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “These new appointments bring a wealth of experience to the board at a time when the government is focused on broadening the tax base and improving taxpayer services.”
With the induction of these members, the CBDT is expected to accelerate pending initiatives aimed at improving operational efficiency and ensuring more streamlined taxpayer engagement across the country.
The appointments come at a time when India’s direct tax revenues have shown impressive growth. As of March 16, 2025, direct tax collections for FY 2024-25 stood at ₹25.86 lakh crore, reflecting a robust 16.15% increase year-on-year. The surge has been driven by higher corporate and non-corporate tax revenues, along with a notable rise in securities transaction tax (STT) receipts.
Corporate tax collections rose to ₹12.40 lakh crore from ₹10.1 lakh crore in the previous financial year, while non-corporate tax revenues climbed to ₹12.90 lakh crore, up from ₹10.91 lakh crore.
