Sh. Bhanu Pratap Sharma took over as Chairman RAC on 15 Dec 2017.

He is a retired IAS officer (1981 Batch) from Bihar Cadre. He has a graduate degree in Physics (Honours) from St Xavier’s College, Ranchi. He, thereafter, did Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (equivalent to MBA) from XLRI, Jamshedpur with specialisation in Finance and Marketing. During his service period, while undergoing an eleven months long training programme at National Defence College, New Delhi, he was awarded M. Phil in Defence & Strategic Studies from Madras University.

He started his career with field postings in Bihar. Thereafter, he held important positions in the Secretariat both at the Centre as well as in the State Government. The three streams where he worked the longest are Personnel (12 years), Finance (5 years) and Health (8 years). Some of the important posts held in the State Government are Principal Secretary, Finance, Principal Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Principal Secretary, Agriculture & Animal Husbandry, Secretary, Expenditure. The important posts held at the Centre are Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training, Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Establishment Officer & Additional Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training.

After his retirement from the post of Secretary, DoPT, he has been appointed Chairman, Recruitment & Assessment Centre (RAC) in Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), a body which performs the recruitment and promotion functions for Defence Scientists. He is also Chairman of Banks Board Bureau, a body which advises the Government on top level appointments at Public Sector Banks and on ways to streamline the functioning of the Banks Board.

In his career, he has had the occasion to advise the government on many important policy issues related to recruitment, cadre restructuring, appointment, promotion, training and vigilance matters. He also drove the implementation of various reform measures to improve governance. He has been associated with a large number of important legislative changes in both the personnel and health sector.

He has been instrumental in the introduction of a number of e governance measures, some of them being fully online treasury system in Bihar (2009), online Minority Merit Scholarship Management System (2010-11), Online Performance Management System (SPARROW) for IAS officers (2014) and its replication to various central services. Delay in Vigilance status has been one of the main reasons for delay in Board level appointments in Central Public Sector Enterprises. An online system SOLVE launched in 2017 is making a difference now.