Govt appoints Rajesh Kumar Singh as Defence Secretary

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet announced on Friday that Rajesh Kumar Singh will become the new Defence Secretary.

Rajesh Kumar Singh, a 1989-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, is currently the Secretary at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. He will begin as Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Defence and will take over as Defence Secretary from Aramane Giridhar after his term ends on October 31. Singh's tenure as Defence Secretary has been extended until October 31, 2026, or until further notice, as approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

Sanjeev Kumar, currently the Chairman of the Airports Authority of India, has been appointed Secretary of the Department of Defence Production.

Punya Salila Srivastava will become the new Health Secretary, and Amardeep Bhati has been named Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

Manoj Govil, who is currently the Corporate Affairs Secretary, has been appointed as the new Expenditure Secretary in the Finance Ministry. Katikithala Srinivas, the current Minority Affairs Secretary, will take over as Secretary at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.