New Delhi: Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh will stay in his post for one more year after the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved an extension of his service until 31 October 2027, NDTV reported on Saturday, 24 October 2026. His tenure had been due to end on 31 October 2026.
The decision keeps the senior most civil servant in the Ministry of Defence in place at a time when the ministry is working on integrated theatre commands, new military doctrines and a bigger push for defence manufacturing at home. Singh also holds additional charge of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, which means the extension covers two of the most important jobs in India’s defence set up.
Table of Contents
What the extension order says
The order was issued by the Department of Personnel and Training. According to NDTV, it said the committee had approved the extension of Singh as Secretary, Department of Defence, “for a period of one year beyond 31.10.2026, i.e. up to 31.10.2027 or until further orders, whichever is earlier.”
The Hindu reported that the extension was granted in relaxation of the retirement provisions of the Fundamental Rules and Rule 16 (1A) of the All India Service (Death Cum Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958. These rules normally require an officer to retire on reaching the age of superannuation, so a relaxation is needed whenever the government wants a senior officer to continue.
The phrase “until further orders” is standard in such orders. It allows the government to bring in a successor earlier if it chooses, though in practice officers given such extensions usually serve the full period.
Who is Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh
Singh is a 1989 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Kerala cadre. He took charge as the 40th Defence Secretary on 1 November 2024, succeeding Giridhar Aramane, who retired on 31 October that year, The New Indian Express reported. The Hindu noted that Aramane, a 1988 batch officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre, had served a two year stint in the post.
Before moving into South Block, Singh had joined the ministry as Officer on Special Duty, or Defence Secretary designate, on 20 August 2024, according to The Hindu. That gave him more than two months to understand the ministry before taking full charge.
His earlier career covered both economic and social sectors. From April 2023 to August 2024 he headed the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, The New Indian Express said. He has also served as Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and as Director of Works and Urban Transport in the Ministry of Urban Development. In Kerala he held the posts of Urban Development Secretary and Finance Secretary.
Additional charge of DRDO
Since 31 May 2026, Singh has also been holding additional charge as Secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman of DRDO, The New Indian Express reported. He took on that role after Samir V Kamat, the previous DRDO chief, and a permanent appointment to the top DRDO post has not yet been announced.
According to Bharat Shakti, one major plan under Singh has been a restructuring of DRDO so that it concentrates on 10 flagship strategic programmes rather than its present portfolio of 37 active projects. The aim, the defence news site said, is to prioritise critical technologies and give private industry a larger role in defence research and development.
Why the government wants continuity
The extension comes as the Defence Ministry pursues key reforms, The New Indian Express said, including the proposed creation of integrated theatre commands, efforts to strengthen self reliance in defence manufacturing and the rollout of important defence doctrines. Theatre commands would bring units of the Army, Navy and Air Force in a region under a single commander, a change that needs close coordination between the services and the civilian side of the ministry.
Money is another reason. Bharat Shakti reported that Singh has indicated the ministry will seek a 35 per cent increase in the military modernisation budget for 2027 and 2028, which would take it from Rs 1.85 lakh crore to nearly Rs 2.5 lakh crore. He has acknowledged that the full increase may be hard to secure and has expressed hope for a rise of at least 25 per cent. The next Union Budget will be presented in early 2027, so the person leading those talks will now stay the same.
Exports are a third priority. Singh has cited record defence exports of Rs 38,424 crore, with Indian equipment reaching more than 80 countries, according to Bharat Shakti.
A pattern of extensions at the top
Singh joins a small group of Defence Secretaries under the present government whose time in office has run beyond the usual retirement timeline. The New Indian Express noted that former Defence Secretaries RK Mathur and G Mohan Kumar continued past their normal retirement age to complete fixed two year terms, while Sanjay Mitra received a three month extension in 2019. Others, such as Ajay Kumar and Giridhar Aramane, left the post on reaching superannuation.
The move also fits a wider pattern of extensions for senior officials in sensitive roles. Bharat Shakti listed Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan, Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Enforcement Directorate Director Rahul Navin among officials whose tenures have been extended or changed.
What happens next
With the order in place, Singh will continue to lead the Department of Defence and, for now, DRDO. The questions to watch over the coming months are whether a full time DRDO chief is named, how far the theatre command plan moves, and how much of the higher modernisation budget the ministry is able to secure in the 2027 Budget.
Bharat Stories has more on India’s armed forces. Read about National Army Day on 15 January, the history behind Indian Navy Day on 4 December, and the DRDO scholarship scheme for girls.
Featured image photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Secretariat Building on Raisina Hill, New Delhi).
FAQ
Until when will Rajesh Kumar Singh serve as Defence Secretary?
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has extended his service until 31 October 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Does Rajesh Kumar Singh also head DRDO?
Yes. Since 31 May 2026 he has held additional charge as Secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman of DRDO.
When did he become Defence Secretary?
He took charge on 1 November 2024, succeeding Giridhar Aramane.
Sources
- NDTV, 24 October 2026: ACC approval and the text of the DoPT order.
- The Hindu, 24 October 2026: service rules relaxed, takeover date and Officer on Special Duty appointment.
- The New Indian Express, 24 October 2026: career record, DRDO additional charge, reform agenda and earlier Defence Secretaries.
- Bharat Shakti, 24 October 2026: DRDO restructuring, modernisation budget plans, exports and other extensions.