Navneet Kumar Sehgal Resigns as Prasar Bharati Chairman, Speculations Rife
Known as a “man of all seasons” for maintaining strong rapport with successive BSP, SP and BJP governments in Uttar Pradesh, Sehgal’s sudden exit has triggered intense flutter
In a sudden and surprising development, Navneet Kumar Sehgal has stepped down as Chairman of Prasar Bharati, bringing his tenure to an abrupt end, after taking charge of India’s public service broadcaster. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) accepted his resignation—submitted on December 2—under Section 7(6) of the Prasar Bharati Act, 1990, and relieved him with immediate effect.
Sehgal, a retired IAS officer of the 1988 batch (Uttar Pradesh cadre), was appointed Chairman of Prasar Bharati on March 16, 2024. His departure has triggered intense speculation within media and bureaucratic circles, given the short duration of his tenure.
Known as a “man of all seasons” for maintaining strong rapport with successive BSP, SP and BJP governments in Uttar Pradesh, Sehgal’s sudden exit has triggered intense flutter.
A Distinguished Administrative Career
Navneet Kumar Sehgal’s career spans over 35 years across key administrative roles in both the Government of India and the Government of Uttar Pradesh. Some of his major contributions include:
Chairman & CEO, UPEIDA:
Successfully led the construction of the 302 km Agra–Lucknow Expressway in a record 22 months, a landmark infrastructure achievement.
Principal Secretary, Tourism (UP):
Championed tourism reforms and negotiated a World Bank loan for large-scale development projects.
Principal Secretary, MSME (UP):
Spearheaded the widely acclaimed One District One Product (ODOP) scheme that transformed local manufacturing ecosystems.
Information & Public Relations:
Managed public relations for the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and served over 15 years in the state’s Information Department.
Energy Secretary (UP):
Oversaw the privatisation of Agra’s power distribution—the first such move in North India—and planned 30,000 MW of power capacity.
Infrastructure & PPP Projects:
Played a pivotal role in planning Lucknow’s first Metro Rail system and contributed to major PPP initiatives, including the JICA-supported water supply pipeline to Agra.
Sehgal retired from civil services in July 2023 as Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh.
www.indianpsu.com attempted to reach Mr. Sehgal for comments regarding his resignation, but there was no response from his end.
In the meantime, rumour mills are working overtime to decode the reasons behind his sudden exit from Prasar Bharati — and to guess what his next move might be.
