Surabhi Rai, 2005-Batch IFoS Officer, Appointed Joint Secretary in Department of Fisheries for Five-Year Term

Surabhi Rai has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Fisheries for an overall tenure of five years, running until May 19, 2028, according to the appointment order.

Rai is a 2005-batch officer of the Indian Forest Service from the Union Territory cadre, and her appointment comes as the government continues to prioritise the fisheries sector under its Blue Economy initiative, a policy framework aimed at expanding sustainable use of ocean and inland water resources for economic growth.

The Department of Fisheries oversees policy for both marine and inland fisheries development, including schemes supporting fisherfolk welfare, aquaculture expansion, and infrastructure development for fish processing and export, with Joint Secretary-level officers typically holding responsibility for a defined policy vertical within this broader mandate.

Rai's Indian Forest Service background brings natural resource management experience to the fisheries portfolio, a field with meaningful overlap given fisheries policy's connection to coastal ecosystem management and sustainable resource extraction, areas where forest service training in conservation and resource management carries some direct relevance.

The five-year tenure specified for this appointment is longer than the standard three-to-four-year central deputation term many Joint Secretary-level appointments carry, suggesting either an extended assignment tied to specific ongoing Blue Economy initiatives or a standard tenure length the Department of Fisheries applies to this position.

The Blue Economy initiative has become an increasingly significant policy priority given India's extensive coastline and the economic potential the government has identified in sustainable marine resource development, aquaculture expansion, and fisheries export growth.

The appointment was processed through the Department of Personnel and Training's central staffing scheme in coordination with the Department of Fisheries.