Vijay Singh Takes Over as DefSec; Dutt is Deputy NSA

New Delhi, July 31 (UNI) New Defence Secretary Vijay Singh today assumed charge of his assignment from outgoing Shekhar Dutt who has been appointed as Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic and Defence-related subjects in the National Security Council Secretariat.

The new Defence Secretary was hitherto Secretary - Road Transport and Highways in the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways.

Prior to this, he was Secretary, Department of Ayurveda, Yoga&Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy in the Ministry of Health&Family Welfare from February 2006 to July 2006.

Born on July 13, 1948, Mr Vijay Singh obtained his Masters Degree in History from Delhi University and joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1970. He was allotted the Madhya Pradesh Cadre.

Mr Singh worked in various capacities in Madhya Pradesh between 1971 and 1982 -- including as the District Magistrate of Gwalior and Bhopal.

He served at the Centre between 1982 and 1987 as Director and Coordinator for the Festival of India in the United States, France, the erstwhile Soviet Union and Japan.

He again served with the Madhya Pradesh Government between 1987 and 1996 as Commissioner Jabalpur Division, Indore Division and Home Secretary.

He again returned to the Centre to serve as Financial Advisor, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Additional Secretary in the Ministries of Chemicals and Fertilisers and Information and Broadcasting from 1996 to 2004.

Subsequently, he was Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh from October 2004 to January 2006.

Outgoing Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt -- appointed as Deputy NSA for Strategic and Defence-related subjects in the National Security Council Secretariat -- will be in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government and will hold the post for a period of two years.

Mr Dutt was appointed Defence Secretary in July 2005. Prior to this appointment, he was Secretary - Defence Production.

He is an IAS officer of the 1969 batch of the Madhya Pradesh cadre. He has also served in the Army where for his role in the Western Sector during the 1971 War he was awarded the Sena Medal for gallantry.

UNI