21 August,2019 10:05 PM IST | | mid-day online correspondent
Ajay Kumar. Pic/Twitter IANS
On Wednesday, Ajay Kumar was appointed as the new Defence Secretary. According to the Prime Minister-headed Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Kumar will replace Sanjay Mitra whose term ends on August 23, 2019. Besides Kumar, IAS officer Subash Chandra, Special Secretary, Department of Defence of the 1986 batch was appointed as the new Secretary, Department of Defence Production. Chandra will take over from Ajay Kumar who is also an IAS officer of 1985 batch.
The Prime Minister-headed Appointments Committee of the Cabinet also appointed Brij Kumar Agarwal, IAS of 1985 batch as the Secretary to the Lokpal in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India. 198 batch IAS officer, Rajiv Gauba, who is at present the Union Home Secretary was appointed as the next Cabinet Secretary.
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The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved Gauba's appointment to the top post in the bureaucratic hierarchy for a period of two years beginning August 30. Gauba will take over P.K. Sinha who was on an extension after completing four years in the chair. On the previous occasion, the government had changed the rules in order to give Sinha extension beyond the four-year term.
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Officials who have earlier worked with Gauba said that he is very balanced, quiet and a non-controversial person, reports news agency IANS. The officials also said that it is the first time that an officer who was due to retire in a few days has been made Cabinet Secretary.
One of the officers said that the appointment of Rajiv Gauba was successful as he led the government's move to nullify Article 370 and bifurcate the state of Jammu and Kashmir. In the past, Rajiv Gauba served as Secretary in the Ministry of Urban Development at the centre before he was given charge of Home Secretary in January 2018. Gauba was also the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Environment.
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With inputs from IANS
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