New Delhi, May 12 — In a significant leadership change at the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, has been entrusted with the additional responsibility of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of SECI. The move comes after the abrupt termination of Rameshwar Prasad Gupta from the top post.
According to an order issued by the Ministry of Personnel, the competent authority approved Sarangi’s appointment as interim CMD of SECI until a regular incumbent is named or until further directives are issued.
The decision follows a personnel ministry order dated May 10, which confirmed the termination of Gupta’s services, more than a month ahead of the official end of his tenure. The order did not specify any reason for the premature exit.
Gupta, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, was appointed as CMD of SECI on June 13, 2023, and officially assumed the position on June 15. He was earlier the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change.
SECI, a Navratna Central Public Sector Undertaking, plays a pivotal role in driving India’s renewable energy ambitions, focusing on project development, implementation, and capacity expansion in the green energy sector.
The development has sparked political controversy, with the Congress party linking Gupta’s sudden removal to alleged charges involving industrialist Gautam Adani. Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh claimed that SECI was mentioned in a US chargesheet dated November 20, 2024, which named Adani and his close associates. Ramesh accused the government of attempting to “cover up” what he termed the “Adani scam.”
While no official statement has confirmed any connection between the termination and the allegations, the timing of Gupta’s dismissal has raised questions within political and energy sector circles.