The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of four senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers as Members of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), according to an official order issued yesterday.
The newly appointed Members include Pankaj Kumar Mishra, who was serving as Member (Finance) of the Atomic Energy Commission, and Sanjay Bahadur, who held the position of Principal Director General of Income Tax (Training) in Delhi. L. Rajasekhar Reddy, who was the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (TDS) for Chennai, Tamil Nadu & Puducherry Regions and Ms. G. Aparna Rao, who was functioning as the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax-1 for Bengaluru, Karnataka & Goa Regions, were also appointed as Members of the CBDT.
All four appointees belong to the 1989 batch of the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax).
The appointments fill the vacant positions in the CBDT, which is the apex body responsible for administering direct tax laws in India. The Board plays a crucial role in formulating policies for tax collection, combating tax evasion, and implementing various direct tax reforms.
“These appointments bring a wealth of experience to the CBDT at a critical time when the government is focusing on enhancing tax compliance and expanding the tax base,” said a senior Finance Ministry official who requested anonymity.
The appointments were made through an order issued by the Department of Personnel & Training.
With these appointments, the CBDT is expected to move forward with various pending initiatives aimed at streamlining tax administration and enhancing taxpayer services nationwide.
Earlier, on March 17, the CBT stated that India’s direct tax collections had witnessed a robust growth of 16.15 per cent year-on-year, reaching Rs 25.86 lakh crore as of March 16, 2025, in the financial year 2024-25.
This rise in collections is attributed to higher corporate and non-corporate tax revenues, as well as a significant surge in securities transaction tax (STT) receipts. Corporate tax collections rose to Rs 12.40 lakh crore, up from Rs 10.1 lakh crore in the previous fiscal. The Non-corporate tax collections surged to Rs 12.90 crore from Rs 10.91 lakh crore last fiscal year.
