IAS officer Rajesh Kumar Singh takes over as Defence Secretary on Nov 1; succeeds Giridhar Aramane
Rajesh Kumar Singh, an IAS officer from the 1989 batch of the Kerala cadre, took over as Defence Secretary on November 1, succeeding Giridhar Aramane who left the position towards the end of the last month.
Before assuming charge at South Block, Singh said, “The nation will remain forever indebted to our brave soldiers who make the supreme sacrifice in the service of the motherland. Their extraordinary bravery and sacrifice is a source of strength and inspiration for us to make India a safe and prosperous nation.”
He paid tributes to the deceased heroes at the National War Memorial in this location.
Singh served as Officer on Special Duty (Defence Secretary-Designate) from August 20 to ensure a seamless transition into the role of Defence Secretary.
The senior bureaucrat served as Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry until August 20th when they transferred to the Defence Ministry.
Before that, he served as secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying within the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.
Singh has also served in numerous key roles within the Union government, such as director of works and urban transport at the Ministry of Urban Development; commissioner (lands) at the Delhi Development Authority; joint secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas; joint secretary at the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare; and chief vigilance officer at the Food Corporation of India, according to a statement from the ministry.
