The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on Saturday approved the re-appointment of Ravi Agrawal as Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the apex policy-making body of the Income Tax Department.

Agrawal, a 1988-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, was appointed as CBDT chairman in June 2024 for an initial one-year term. He was due to retire on June 30, 2025.

Re-appointed on contract basis

According to an officia order, “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the re-appointment of Shri Ravi Agrawal, IRS (IT:88028) as Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), on contract basis, for a period of one year with effect from 01.07.2025 to 30.06.2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier, on the usual terms and conditions applicable to re-employed Central Government officers, in relaxation of the Recruitment Rules.”

The CBDT is the apex policy-making body for the Income Tax Department and is headed by a chairman, with up to six members of special secretary rank.

Took charge from Nitin Gupta in June 2024

Before his elevation as chairman, Agrawal served as Member (Administration) in the CBDT. He succeeded Nitin Gupta, a 1986-batch IRS officer, whose extended tenure ended on June 30, 2024. Gupta had originally taken charge in June 2022 and was granted a nine-month extension beyond his scheduled retirement in September 2023.