NEW DELHI: Senior Indian Administrative Service officer Ajay Mittal is to take over as Secretary in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

He will succeed Sunil Arora, who is retiring on 30 April 2016.

Mittal, a 1982 batch officer, is currently based in his home cadre state Himachal Pradesh. Arora is an IAS officer from Rajasthan from the 1980 batch.

Arora joined the ministry on 31 August last year just as the ministry was making preparations for the Digital Addressable System Phase III and was in the midst of the Phase III auctions of FM Radio.

His successor will have the onerous task of overseeing the implementation of the last phase in DAS which will cover all remaining urban and all rural areas of the country.

Born on 24 February 1958, Mittal is a law graduate and also has a masters degree in rural development.

His first posting was as principal secretary to the then chief minister of Himachal Pradesh and in the Information and Public Relations wing in the state.

Mittal was empanelled as Secretary in December last year when he was Additional Chief Secretary, Transport, Social Justice and Empowerment Department, Shimla.