Who is RK Singh? Kerala cadre IAS officer assumes charge as defence secretary

Rajesh Kumar Singh has taken over as India's 40th Defence Secretary, replacing Aramane Giridhar who completed his tenure on October 31. Singh, a 1989-batch IAS officer from Kerala, brings extensive administrative experience from key departments, including DPIIT and Animal Husbandry, to his new role.

New Delhi: 1989-batch Indian Asministrative Service (IAS) officer Rajesh Kumar Singh on Friday assumed charge as the 40th defence secretary at South Block in Delhi. 

He replaced 1988-batch IAS officer Aramane Giridhar, who completed his extended tenure on October 31.

Prior to this, he was the officer on special duty and attached to Aramane. 

Singh’s appointment came a month before his retirement. He has been appointed for a fixed tenure of two years, ending November 31, 2026.

Rajesh Kumar Singh is a Kerala cadre IAS officer, who has also served as the Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
(DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.  

Hailing from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district, RK Singh has held a number of critical positions at the central and state levels. 

He had served as the Director of Works and Urban Transport in the Ministry of Urban Development, Commissioner (Lands) at the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Chief Vigilance Officer at the Food Corporation of India. 

In the Kerala government, he had held positions as the Secretary for Urban Development. He had also served as the Finance Secretary in the state government.

“Singh’s extensive administrative background across key departments is expected to contribute significantly to his role as Defence Secretary,” an official said.