Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has appointed Manoj Kumar Singh as the new chief secretary, reported Live Hindustan. Singh, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the 1988 batch of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, will succeed Durga Shanker Mishra, who is from the 1984 batch of the same cadre. Singh will also continue as Infrastructure & Industrial Development Commissioner.
Durga Shanker Mishra, then posted as secretary, housing and urban development, at the Centre, was repatriated to his home state on December 29, 2021, only two days before his retirement and was made the chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh. Mishra’s appointment as the chief secretary on the cusp of retirement came as a big surprise to many as it was believed to be the first case of its kind in the country.
He then received another one-year extension in December 2022. As his tenure was about to end in December 2023, he was granted a six-month extension citing the Lok Sabha elections. Among the IAS officers who were superannuated in the last six months are Mahesh Kumar Gupta, Leena Nandan, Hemant Rao, S Radha Chauhan, Amit Mohan Prasad, Kalpana Awasthi, Anita Singh and Sudhir Garg.
However, this time, Mishra did not receive a fourth extension, and the government has now entrusted the responsibility of chief secretary to IAS Manoj Kumar Singh.
{{/usCountry}}However, this time, Mishra did not receive a fourth extension, and the government has now entrusted the responsibility of chief secretary to IAS Manoj Kumar Singh.
{{/usCountry}}Originally from Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, IAS Manoj Kumar Singh is considered one of the most influential bureaucrats in the state. He currently oversees several important departments. As additional chief secretary, he has held responsibilities for Panchayati Raj and Horticulture and Food Processing, playing a key role in implementing numerous government schemes.
Manoj Kumar Singh is due to retire in July 2025.