Senior IAS Officer Nikhil Pavan Kalyan Appointed Director of Census Operations in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Central Government has appointed senior Odisha cadre IAS officer Nikhil Pavan Kalyan as the Director of Census Operations (DCO) and Director of Citizen Registration (DCR) for the state. The appointment was officially communicated by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to Odisha Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja through a formal letter.

Kalyan, a 2012-batch officer, has been directed to be relieved from his current assignment immediately in order to assume his new responsibilities. His tenure as DCO/DCR will extend up to December 31, 2025, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

“The Competent Authority has approved the appointment of Nikhil Pavan Kalyan as DCO/DCR, Odisha for a period up to December 31, 2025 or until further orders,” the DoPT letter stated.

This key appointment comes at a time when the Centre is preparing for the next round of the population census, amid increasing anticipation that the long-delayed exercise may take place later this year. The recent approval by the Union Cabinet to conduct caste-based enumeration during the upcoming census adds further significance to the post.