The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Varnali Deka, a 2009-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre as Joint Secretary in the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Department of Health and Family Welfare. According to the appointment order issued on October 10, 2026, Deka has been appointed for a combined tenure of five years up to August 28, 2030 or until further orders whichever is earlier. She succeeds Jyoti Yadav, a 2009-batch IAS officer of the Uttarakhand cadre.
Deka was serving as Director in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs on central deputation before this appointment. She has previously held several administrative positions in the Assam government including Commissioner and Secretary of the General Administration Department and Deputy Commissioner in five districts—Barpeta, Golaghat, Goalpara, Kokrajhar and Nalbari.
The appointment places Deka in a senior administrative position within the National Health Authority the agency responsible for implementing Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and overseeing key initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).The appointment is part of the Centre’s senior-level administrative postings across various ministries and departments.