Profile

Mukesh Kumar, a 1996-batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, has served in major leadership roles including Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad and CEO of the Gujarat Maritime Board. Currently Principal Secretary for Education (with additional charge of Higher & Technical Education), he is known for his contribution to school enrollment drives, policy implementation, and strengthening governance systems across the state.

Career Highlights:

1. Current Position:
   • Principal Secretary for Education Department: Shree Mukesh Kumar currently holds the position of PS for Education Department (Primary & Secondary), Government of Gujarat — given additional charge of Higher & Technical Education. This role involves overseeing the state's policies and initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality and accessibility of higher education and technical training.
2. Previous Positions:
   • Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad (AMC)
   • Vice-Chairman & CEO, Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB)

Significant Achievements:

1. Leadership of education drives and campaigns
   • As Principal Secretary (Education) he has chaired/state-level planning for large campaigns such as Gujarat’s Shala Praveshotsav (annual school enrollment drives) and has been visible in policy rollouts and school enrollment targets for 2025.
2. Urban administration and pandemic/health management experience
   • While Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad he led major urban initiatives (infrastructure, sanitation, public health measures) and was noted for hands-on city management during challenging periods. (Reporting and profiles attribute key urban-management responsibilities to his AMC tenure.)​
3. Port & maritime governance — as Vice-Chairman & CEO of the Gujarat Maritime Board (appointed 2018)
   • he was involved in port development and maritime infrastructure that contribute to Gujarat’s trade and logistics capacity.
4. Administrative versatility
   • Given multiple senior charges (education, maritime, municipal, and occasional additional charges in reshuffles), showing trust in his capacity to manage cross-sectoral portfolios. Recent government orders and press reports document these transfers/additional charges.

Impact and Contributions:

1. As Principal Secretary of Primary & Secondary Education he plays a central role in statewide policies that affect millions of students — enrollment campaigns, school readiness drives, and implementation of centrally/state funded school programmes. These interventions influence attendance, mid-day meal implementation, and basic learning outcomes through administrative coordination.
2. During his AMC leadership, the emphasis on sanitation, e-governance, and infrastructure projects contributed to more efficient municipal services and crisis response capability (including health/crisis management). Those improvements have downstream impact on public health and urban quality of life.
3. At GMB, actions on port infrastructure and operational efficiencies support Gujarat’s position as a logistics and trade hub, with knock-on effects for state revenue and local employment in port-linked activities.