NEW DELHI: Jawahar Sircar, secretary in the Ministry of Culture, has been given the additional charge of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

He replaces Sushma Singh, who retired on 31 May.

Sircar, a 1975 batch officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) from the West Bengal cadre, will hold the charge till a full-time replacement is found.

Prior to this, he had served Development Commissioner (Small Scale Industries) and as principal secretary Higher Education Department and Commerce & Industries Department, Government of West Bengal.

Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni formally assumed charge on 1 June. Soni has said that the primary aim of her ministry would be to ensure that information about government programmes for the welfare of the people reaches every citizen of the country.