Munish Sood
Mandi
Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan has been featured among the country’s Top 100 Deputy Commissioners and District Magistrates in the prestigious Fame India Magazine Best District Magistrates Survey 2026, bringing national recognition to Mandi district and Himachal Pradesh’s administrative leadership.
The survey, conducted by Fame India Magazine in collaboration with the Asia Post research agency, assessed the performance of District Magistrates and Deputy Commissioners across more than 800 districts of the country on parameters related to governance, innovation, administrative efficiency and public service delivery.
Apart from Mandi DC Apoorv Devgan, four other officers from Himachal Pradesh cadre were also included in the list of Top 100 administrators. These include Anupam Kashyap, Hemraj Bairwa, Gandharva Rathore and Manmohan Sharma.
The survey does not place officers in a competitive ranking order but recognises distinguished Deputy Commissioners and District Magistrates from across India for excellence in governance, accountability, crisis management, public outreach and development-oriented administration.
Mandi district has also performed strongly in the District Good Governance Index (DGGI) of Himachal Pradesh, further reflecting the administrative initiatives undertaken under the present district administration. According to the index, Mandi secured the 5th position overall in the state. The district ranked 1st in Transparency and Accountability and secured 2nd position in the Women and Children category, highlighting its performance in citizen-centric governance and welfare delivery.
Apoorv Devgan belongs to the 2015 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Human Resource and Organisational Development. During his administrative career, he has served in several important assignments including Sub Divisional Magistrate at Banjar and Karsog, Additional Deputy Commissioner Shimla, Member Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board in Shimla, and Deputy Commissioner Chamba before taking over as Deputy Commissioner of Mandi.
Officials in the Fame India survey were evaluated on multiple governance indicators including effective implementation of government schemes, innovation, transparency, quick decision-making, crisis response, public sensitivity, communication skills and long-term developmental planning.
Fame India Magazine stated that the initiative aims to acknowledge officers contributing significantly towards nation-building through transparent, responsive and people-centric administration.
The inclusion of five Himachal Pradesh officers in the national Top 100 list is being viewed as a major recognition of the state’s governance standards and administrative efficiency.
