New Delhi:Â Senior IAS officer G Mohan Kumar was on Saturday appointed as new Defence Secretary for a two-year term.
Kumar, a 1979 batch IAS officer of Odisha cadre, is presently Secretary in Department of Defence Production.
The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the appointment of Kumar as Defence Secretary for a period of two years from the date of taking over the charge of the post, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training said.
He will take over from Radha Krishna Mathur, a 1977 batch Manipur-Tripura cadre IAS officer, who completes his two year tenure on May 28.
Kumar has served in Commerce Ministry and also worked as Additional and Special Secretary in Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation between 2010 and September 2013.
Kumar, who hails from Kerala, has also served as Steel Secretary before taking over as Secretary in Department of Defence Production on September 1, 2014.
The appointment comes as a birthday gift for Mr Kumar who was to turn 60 on May 27 and possibly retire at the end of this month.
Kumar will be replaced as Secretary Defence Production by Ashok Kumar Gupta, a 1981 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre. Gupta is Special Secretary in Department of Defence Production.