The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of three senior Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officers as Members of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), according to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training on August 13, 2026.
The appointments include Pallavi Agarwal, IRS (IT:91008), currently serving as Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Exemptions), Delhi. She has been appointed against the CBDT Member vacancy arising from April 1, 2026.
- The ACC has also appointed Sunil Kumar Singh, IRS (IT:91048), who is serving as Director General of Income Tax (Investigation), Ahmedabad. His appointment has been made against the vacancy arising from July 1, 2026.
- The third appointment is Vatsalaa Jha, IRS (IT:92003), currently Director General of Income Tax (Investigation), North West Region, Chandigarh. She has been appointed against the vacancy dated September 1, 2026.
The appointments were approved by the ACC, which is headed by the Prime Minister, and communicated by the Secretariat of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet under the Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
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The three officers bring extensive experience in direct-tax administration, including income-tax exemptions, investigation and enforcement functions. Their elevation to the CBDT is expected to strengthen the board's senior leadership as it oversees the country's direct-tax administration and policy implementation.
The CBDT, under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, is the apex statutory authority responsible for administering direct taxes in India. Its responsibilities include policy formulation and oversight of the Income Tax Department and consists of a Chairman and up to six members.
The Department of Personnel and Training has forwarded the appointment order to the Department of Revenue, Cabinet Secretariat, Prime Minister's Office and other concerned authorities for information and necessary action.
Earlier, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) granted an extension to Agrawal as head of the CBDT, maintaining leadership stability within the apex direct tax authority.
The appointments come against vacancies that arose at different points in 2026 and are aimed at filling key positions on the apex direct-tax administration body.
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