Tansformational Leader in National Security and Public Administration – Dr. Ajay Kumar
Dr. Ajay Kumar, The current Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission, who is holding the charge from15 may in 2025 and will serve in this post till October 2017. He is a retired IAS officer of the 1985 batch and a former Defence Secretary. He is also known for his important role in the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff and the implementation of the Agni Veer scheme. He was born on 2 October 1962 in Jalandhar, Punjab. He also holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electrical Engineering from India’s top institute, IIT Kanpur. After this, he studied Master of Science in Applied Economics Development Economics from the University of Minnesota, USA. He obtained a doctorate in Business Administration from the Carson School of Management. Administrative Career and Current Affairs After becoming the Chairman of the UPSC in 2025, he organized the first open town hall dialogue in the country’s history with candidates appearing for the Civil Services Examination to promote transparency and reforms in the examination system. Played a key role in the creation of India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, the integration of the three services, and implemented the historic Agneepath scheme to recruit young people into the service. He was also India’s longest-serving Defense Secretary. He emphasized the importance of the service’s weapons, promoted domestic defense production and Made in India, and abolished the government-run Ordnance Factory Board and transformed it into a modern corporate entity. While at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, he designed and launched several major platforms that digitalized the country, including Aadhaar, UPI, mygov.in, and digilocker. Introducing digital life certificates for pensioners, enabling millions of senior citizens to receive their pensions without visiting banks, and launching a transparent online GEM portal to curb corruption in government department purchases. Served as the Managing Director of the Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation, building the state’s IT infrastructure and bringing information technology and digital literacy to rural Kerala in its early days. Key Honors and Awards
From DPIIT to Defence: Rajesh Kumar Singh Takes Charge at South Block as India’s Top Bureaucrat in Defence Ministry
Rajesh Kumar Singh, a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1989 batch from the Kerala cadre, has been appointed as India’s Defence Secretary. Prior to this, he served as the Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. His tenure as the Secretary of the Department of Defence has been extended beyond the standard retirement age until October 31, 2026. India’s current Defence Secretary, Rajesh Kumar Singh, was born on November 24, 1964. A native of Bihar, Rajesh Kumar Singh is an IAS officer of the 1989 batch from the Kerala cadre. Rajesh Kumar Singh assumed charge as the Defence Secretary on November 1, 2024, at the South Block in New Delhi. Notably, he succeeded Giridhar Aramane, an IAS officer of the 1988 batch from the Andhra Pradesh cadre. Rajesh Kumar Singh previously served as the Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade within the Ministry of Commerce and Industry from April 24, 2023, to August 20, 2024. Prior to this, he served as the Secretary of Animal Husbandry and Dairying within the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying. Under the Central Government, R.K. Singh has held several significant positions, including Director of Construction and Urban Transport in the Ministry of Urban Development; Commissioner in the Delhi Development Authority (DDA); Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas; Joint Secretary in the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation, and Farmers Welfare; and Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) in the Food Corporation of India (FCI).