Raj Kumar Singh appointed new Union Home Secy

New Delhi: Senior IAS officer Raj Kumar Singh was on Friday appointed Union Home Secretary, succeeding G K Pillai who retires this month end.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Singh, a 1975 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre, as Home Secretary for a period of two years.

Singh is at present Secretary, Department of Defence Production.

He will serve as Officer on Special Duty in the Home Ministry with immediate effect and till the date of his assumption of charge, an official release said.

Singh had earlier served in the Home Ministry as a Joint Secretary for about five years.

Pillai, a 1972 batch Kerala cadre IAS officer, had taken charge as Home Secretary in June 2009 -- seven months after the Mumbai terror attack -- and oversaw the complete overhaul of the country`s security establishment.