Ajay Kumar (civil servant)

Ajay Kumar (born 2 October 1962) is a 1985 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Kerala cadre. He is the current Defence Secretary (India).[1][2]

Ajay Kumar

IAS
39th Defence Secretary of India
Assumed office
23 August 2019
Appointed byAppointments Committee of the Cabinet
MinisterRajnath Singh
Preceded bySanjay Mitra
39th Defence Production Secretary of India
In office
1 December 2017 – 23 August 2019
Appointed byAppointments Committee of the Cabinet
MinisterNirmala Sitharaman
Preceded byAshok Kumar
Succeeded bySubhash Chandra, IAS (Karnataka, 1986)
Personal details
Born
Ajay Kumar

(1962-10-02) 2 October 1962
Uttar Pradesh
Alma materIIT Kanpur (BTech)
University of Minnesota (MS, PhD)
OccupationIAS officer
ProfessionCivil servant

Education

Kumar has a Bachelor of Technology in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur,[3] has a Master of Science in development economics from the University of Minnesota,[3] and has a Doctor of Philosophy degree in business administration from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.[3]

in 2019, he was facilitated as distinguished alumni by Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur for his professional excellence and nation building efforts.[4][5][6]

Career

Kumar has served in various posts in both the Government of India and the Government of Kerala, such as Principal Secretary (Information Technology), managing director of the Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation, Secretary (Industries), managing director of the Kerala State Co-operative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank, general manager in the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation and as the district magistrate and collector of the Palghat (now Palakkad) district in the Kerala government;[3] and as the Defence Production Secretary, additional secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, joint secretary in the Department of Information Technology of the now-erstwhile Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, director in the Department of Biotechnology of the Ministry of Science and Technology and as a deputy secretary in the Department of Home of the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Indian government.[3][7]

Ajay kumar spent three decade of his service with the Kerala state government where he headed three different departments.[8]

Kumar also served as a private secretary to a minister in the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (now Ministry of New and Renewable Energy).[3]

Principal Secretary

He was Principal Secretary to Government of Kerala, Information Technology Department from October 2007 to December 2010.

Joint Secretary

Kumar held the post of Joint Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and additional charge of Director General at National Informatics Centre from 2010 to 2014.

Additional Secretary

He was Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology during 2015 - 2017.


Defence Production Secretary


Kumar was appointed as the Defence Production Secretary by the prime minister-headed Appointments Committee of the Cabinet in November 2017,[9][10][11] he assumed office on 1 December 2017.[3] He served as Defence Production Secretary till 23 August 2019 and was succeeded by Subhash Chandra, an IAS officer of Karnataka cadre (1986 batch).[12]

Defence Secretary

Kumar was appointed as Union Defence Secretary on 21 August 2019, and he assumed office on 23 August 2019 when Sanjay Mitra retired.[1][2] Kumar travelled to Paris along with Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh to take delivery of first Rafale fighter jet.[13][14] On 4 June 2020, Kumar tested positive for COVID-19.[15]


Recognition
Dr. Ajay Kumar in convocation ceremony

He received distinguished Alumni award from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in 2019 for the entrepreneurship excellence work. [16] Kumar is credited for the creation of an Electronics Development Fund, which focuses on developing technology start-ups in defence sector. [17]

References
  1. "ACC appointments". Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 21 August 2019.
  2. @SpokespersonMoD (23 August 2019). "Defence Secretary @drajaykumar_ias felicitating his predecessor Shri Sanjay Mitra at his farewell in New Delhi, today" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. "Ajay Kumar — Executive Sheet". Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  4. "Distinguished Alumni Felicitated At IIT Kanpur Diamond Jubilee Celebration". BW Education. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  5. "Distinguished alumni honoured for contribution to IIT- Kanpur, nation". Hindustan Times. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  6. "Amid border tensions with China, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar leaves for Moscow ahead of India-US meeting". www.timesnownews.com. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  7. IANS (28 November 2017). "Ajay Kumar new Defence Production Secretary". Business Standard India. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  8. "Dr Ajay Kumar, IAS moved to Delhi as Jt.Secy, IT Ministry". indiatechonline.com. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  9. "ACC appointments". Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  10. "Ajay Kumar appointed secretary, defence production". The Economic Times. New Delhi: The Times Group. Press Trust of India. 27 November 2017. OCLC 61311680. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  11. "Ajay Kumar Appointed Secretary, Defence Production". BW Businessworld. BW Online Bureau. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2018.CS1 maint: others (link)
  12. @SpokespersonMoD (23 August 2019). "New Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Subhash Chandra welcoming Defence Secretary @drajaykumar_ias who assumed office today" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. "First Rafale delivery in September 2019 as per schedule: Ajay Kumar". The Economic Times. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  14. Roche, Elizabeth (8 October 2019). "India takes delivery of first Rafale fighter jet". Mint. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  15. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/coronavirus-indias-defence-secretary-tests-positive-for-covid-19/article31743699.ece
  16. http://www.uniindia.com/iit-kanpur-announces-2019-alumni-award-winners-two-new-awards-instituted/north/news/1741754.html
  17. https://www.mybrandbook.co.in/redirect.php?p=3121
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