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Retired IAS Officer Raghvendra Singh Appointed India’s Culture Secretary

Singh is at present the Chief Executive Officer of the Development of Museums and Cultural Spaces.

The North Block of the Central Secretariat buildings, which houses the Ministries of Finance and Home Affairs, stands in New Delhi, India. (Photographer: Anindito Mukherjee/Bloomberg)
The North Block of the Central Secretariat buildings, which houses the Ministries of Finance and Home Affairs, stands in New Delhi, India. (Photographer: Anindito Mukherjee/Bloomberg)

Former bureaucrat Raghvendra Singh was appointed as the culture secretary on Friday in place of Anand Kumar, who has shifted as the secretary of the National Commission for Backward Classes, as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle, according to a Personnel Ministry order.

Singh, a 1983-batch (retired) IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, is at present the Chief Executive Officer, Development of Museums and Cultural Spaces.

He has been appointed as the Secretary, Ministry of Culture on a contract basis and on usual terms and conditions applicable to re-employed central government officers for a period of one year from the date of assumption of the charge of the post, the order said.

Singh will continue to hold the charge of the post of CEO, Development of Museums and Cultural Spaces.

Singh was the cultural secretary from Dec. 1, 2017 to Aug. 9, 2018, according to his official records.

He succeeds Kumar, a 1984-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, who has been shifted as the Secretary, National Commission for Backward Classes, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Kumar has been appointed in place of Ajoy Kumar, who superannuates this month-end.

S Aparna, a 1988-batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, has been appointed as the Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals. She will succeed P O Vaghela, who retires on Sept. 30.

Senior bureaucrat Apurva Chandra has been appointed as the Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Chandra, a 1988-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, is currently the Special Secretary and Director General (Acquisition), Ministry of Defence. He will take over the charge from Heera Lal Samariya, who retires this month-end.