Nidhi Khare

Biodata of Mrs. Nidhi Khare, IAS (JH:1992)

• She is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of 1992 batch.
• Presently working as Secretary to Government of India looking after the Department of Consumer Affairs. She has also worked as Secretary, Department of Land Resources and Ministry of New & Renewable Energy.
• Born in Jammu on 12th February 1968, completed her studies at Dehradun and Lucknow, done her Masters in Biochemistry.
• Has served as District Collector in Madhubani, Jamshedpur and Dumka in the Indian States of Bihar and Jharkhand.

Experience in the Government of India  (2008 to 2015 & 2018 to till date)

• Presently posted as Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution w.e.f. 1^st April 2024.
• Earlier she has worked as Secretary, Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development. Was actively engaged in carrying out next level of transformation in Land Records Management and bringing transparency for the citizens in land administration.
• She has served in various capacities in the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, where she was instrumental in setting up of Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), a regulatory body set up for class action against violations of Consumer Rights, Unfair Trade Practices, and Misleading Advertisement. As its first Chief Commissioner, she initiated more than 419 cases and disposed off 141 cases that included refund to consumers whose flight tickets got cancelled during COVID lockdown, imposing penalty against major Coaching Institutes, online platforms for selling faulty sub-standard pressure cookers etc.
• She was instrumental in issuing several Guidelines and Advisories to keep a check on unfair trade practices and misleading ads. These address misleading advertisements, service charges, dark patterns, greenwashing, coaching sector ads, and illegal radio equipment. Advisories cover misleading COVID-19 claims, mandatory seller disclosures, illegal jammers, sale of traditional medicines without prescriptions, car seat belt alarm stoppers, and prohibition of endorsing unlawful activities like betting. These measures together enhanced transparency, accountability, and consumer trust.
• Under her leadership, the Department of Consumer Affairs launched the Right to Repair Portal India in 2022, covering Automobiles, Consumer Durables, Mobile & Electronics, and Farming Equipment. So far, 66 major companies have joined to provide manuals, tools, and resources supporting a shift toward a circular economy. Subsequently, a Repairability Index framework for the Mobile and Electronics sector, is being worked out, developing a standardized scoring method for OEMs to self-declare their index, promoting mindful consumption, innovation, and consumer choice.
• Furthermore, in a bid to empower consumers to get speedy, hassle-free redressal of consumer grievances, she has strengthened redressal at pre-litigation stage, which is served through a toll free 24*4 system.
• Apart from Consumer Protection, she was actively engaged at the transformation of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and National Test House (NTH) with setting up of world class testing laboratories and making mandatory hallmarking for gold ornaments.
• Served as Joint Secretary in Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.
• As Joint Secretary (DBT), she was instrumental in conceptualizing and implementing the nationally acclaimed programme of Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT), wherein subsidies for LPG and other entitlements such as Scholarships, Pensions and wages etc. started reaching millions of beneficiaries seamlessly, without the middlemen, into their bank accounts.

Experience in State Government (Jharkhand)

• As Secretary (Commercial Taxes) (2015 to 2016), she tried to bring ease to the dealers by simplifying taxation and curbing evasion of tax through the use of Business Intelligence. She worked for implementation of GST framework.
• As Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education, (From March 2018 onwards), she successfully implemented countrywide rollout of Ayushman Bharat from Jharkhand. 8 New Medical Colleges were opened. NITI Aayog appreciated Jharkhand for the fastest growth in Health Sector.