

NEW DELHI: The 2009 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Tarun Kumar Pithode, of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, took charge on Thursday as the full-time member-secretary of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for the national capital region and adjoining areas.
Appointed for a five-year tenure running until September 8, 2029, or until further orders, Pithode succeeds Arvind Kumar Nautiyal of the IRSME (1992) batch.
A former director and later joint secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Pithode brings central environmental administration experience to CAQM’s operational role.
The commission, tasked with monitoring and managing air quality across Delhi-NCR and nearby districts, coordinates research, policy responses and inter-agency measures to curb pollution. Pithode assumes the post amid focus on winter smog and activation of GRAP.