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New Delhi: Hiren Joshi, Officer on Special Duty or OSD (Communications & Information Technology) in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), is an important name in the country’s most powerful office at the joint secretary rank since 2019. He is a permanent presence in WhatsApp message feeds of prominent journalists in big media, directing headlines and as per many, also deciding the slant and nature of coverage big media should undertake. He has been in the news and part of several social media conversations for being silently benched, as after October 12, 2025 “there were no WhatsApps from him”. Some journalists say the directions went missing later, after November 24.

There was no memo, notification, nothing, but it seemed he had left groups and was not contacting the media, as he was known to do.

He has made a comeback now in WhatsApp groups, rejoining them, but that has provoked another round of speculation and more interest.

Social media has been agog with various speculative theories being given about his departure, and Congress leader and spokesperson, Pawan Khera........

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