PIB Chief Dhirendra Ojha gets 1-year extension
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, October 2, 2026: Principal Director General of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Dhirendra Ojha has been re-employed for another year, allowing him to continue in the post beyond his scheduled retirement on September 30.
According to an order issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Wednesday, President Droupadi Murmu approved Ojha’s contractual re-employment as Principal Director General, PIB, for one year from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The order was issued on the day Ojha was scheduled to superannuate.
Ojha’s continuation is through contractual re-employment, rather than an extension of his regular government service.
The decision comes amid several recent instances of senior Central government officials continuing in key positions beyond their scheduled retirement dates.
In August, the government extended the tenure of Cabinet Secretary T. V. Somanathan by one year beyond August 30, 2026. Home Secretary Govind Mohan was also given a one-year extension, allowing him to continue until August 22, 2027. Both officials had assumed their respective positions in 2024.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri received a one-year extension in July and will continue in office until July 14, 2027. He had previously received a 19-month extension beyond his superannuation.
Other senior officials have also received extensions in recent years. Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha was granted his fifth extension in June, extending his tenure until June 28, 2027.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval was given a third five-year term in June 2024, while Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka received a further one-year extension in 2025.
Ojha’s re-employment ensures continuity at the top of the PIB, the government’s principal agency for disseminating official information and communicating government policies, programmes and initiatives to the media.