Meet IAS officer, appointed DM of THIS new district for four months to oversee Mahakumbh 2025, his name is….

Mahakumbh 2025 has started at the ghats of Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj. Lakhs of devotees have been coming to participate in the largest religious gathering of people. The event that started from January 13 will continue for the next 42 days. Did you know who is behind all the arrangements made for Mahakumbh this year?  

IAS officer Vijay Kiran Anand has been given the responsibility for the entire management of the grand event. Under his leadership the event is believed to come out as a magnificent and momentous event.  

To manage the massive crowds expected at the Kumbh Mela 2025, Uttar Pradesh has established a temporary district called Mahakumbh Mela District, effective from December 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. This district comprises 67 villages across four tehsils and will be administered by IAS officer Vijay Kiran Anand, who has been appointed as the District Magistrate. 

Who is Vijay Kiran Anand? 

Vijay Kiran Anand is a 2009 batch IAS officer belonging to the UP cadre. He was born in Bengaluru and is also a qualified Chartered Accountant. He was initially posted as SDM in the Baghpat district in Uttar Pradesh. After serving there for two years, he was sent to the Barabanki district where he was posted as the Chief Development Officer. 

Vijay Kiran Anand was posted as District Collector in various regions in UP, Mainpuri, Unnao, Firozabad, Varanasi, and Shahjahanpur. He was given the responsibility of Magh and Kumbh melas. In 2017 he was made the officer for the Magh Mela and in 2019, he became the officer for the Ardh Kumbh Mela. He also served duties in departments like Panchayati Raj, Irrigation, and Basic Education. 

But this year he is given the biggest responsibility of his career, that of, the duty of chief officer for Mahakumbh 2025. The role of Mela Adhikari is a result of his vast experience. One of the achievements during his experience was when Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferred him with the Prime Minister Award 2020 on Civil Services Day and the PM also honoured him with a memento and a citation.