Archive · 13 Aug 2026
IFS Officer Nidhi Tiwari Appointed PM Modi's Private Secretary
Nidhi Tiwari is a woman from Lucknow, India, who now has a very important job: she is the private secretary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
That means she is one of the people who helps the prime minister with his daily work.
Before this, Nidhi was a scientist at a big research center called BARC.
But she wanted to help run the country, so she left her scientist job in 2008 to study for a very hard government test.
The test is called the UPSC Civil Services Examination, and it is very hard to pass.
In 2012, she almost made it but was only put on the waiting list.
Instead of giving up, she tried again.
In 2013, she passed with the 96th-best score in the whole country.
That let her join the Indian Foreign Service, where officers represent India around the world.
She worked on peace and safety topics, and because she did so well, she was chosen to work very closely with the prime minister.
Nidhi Tiwari, an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, serves as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's private secretary.
Before the role, she was a Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), handling foreign affairs and security matters.
She began her career as a scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), leaving in 2008 to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
After appearing on the waiting list in 2012, she secured the 96th rank in the 2013 UPSC examination and joined the IFS 2014 batch.
She previously worked at the Ministry of External Affairs on disarmament and international security and with NSA Ajit Doval on security matters.
- Who
- Nidhi Tiwari, an Indian Foreign Service officer from Lucknow, who is now private secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- What
- Tiwari was appointed as PM Modi's private secretary after serving as Deputy Secretary in the PMO, where she handled foreign affairs and security.
- When
- She joined the PMO in November 2022 and was later promoted to Deputy Secretary; she secured her UPSC rank in 2013 and joined the IFS in the 2014 batch.
- Where
- India — the Prime Minister's Office, where she worked on matters related to foreign affairs and security.
- Why
- Her experience in foreign policy, disarmament, and national security, including work with NSA Ajit Doval, made her well suited to the role.
- Name
- Nidhi Tiwari
- Role
- Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi
- Service
- Indian Foreign Service (IFS), 2014 batch
- UPSC Rank
- 96th rank, 2013 Civil Services Examination
- Education
- BSc in Lucknow; postgraduate in Biochemistry from Banaras Hindu University (gold medal)
- Previous Career
- Scientist at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), left in 2008
- PMO Entry
- Joined as Under Secretary in November 2022; later promoted to Deputy Secretary
- Hometown
- Lucknow