Rajesh Kumar Singh Assumes Office of Defence Secretary

New Delhi, Nov 1: Rajesh Kumar Singh took over as Defence Secretary at South Block in New Delhi on Friday (November 1).
He is a 1989-batch IAS officer from Kerala cadre, who had assumed the charge of the Officer on Special Duty (Defence Secretary-designate) on August 20, 2024.
Before taking charge, Singh laid a wreath and paid homage to the fallen heroes at the National War Memorial, New Delhi.

“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 & inspiration for us to make India a safe and prosperous nation,” he said.
Earlier, Singh was holding the charge of Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry from April 24, 2023 to August 20, 2024. Prior to that, he held the post of Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.
Singh succeeds Giridhar Aramane, a 1988-batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, who superannuated from service on October 31, 2024.