Some bureaucratic careers are defined by a single domain. Rajeev Singh Thakur’s has been shaped by movement across them.
From district administration in Rajasthan to rural development, health and livelihoods; from the Ministry of Defence and Department of Military Affairs to industrial policy and infrastructure planning; and finally to NITI Aayog, his career has traversed some of the most diverse areas of government.
Now, that experience has brought him to Manipur.
On 1 September 2026, the 1995-batch Rajasthan-cadre IAS officer assumed charge as the Chief Secretary of Manipur, beginning a new chapter in a career spanning nearly three decades.
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From Field Administration to the Secretariat
Born on 29 June 1969, Thakur entered the IAS in 1995 and was allotted the Rajasthan cadre. His early years were rooted in field administration.
He served as Sub-Divisional Officer in Bali and Rajsamand before taking up development administration as Additional Collector (Development) and Project Director, DRDA, in Rajsamand.
He later served as Additional Collector and Additional District Magistrate in Jaipur. Then came a series of district assignments. Thakur served as Collector and District Magistrate of Banswara, Bhilwara, Alwar, Karauli and Sri Ganganagar at different points of his Rajasthan career.
These postings placed him at the operational end of government, where administration meets public services, development programmes and district-level governance.
His portfolio subsequently widened to include the Home Department, Medical and Health Department, National Rural Health Mission, Rural Development, employment guarantee, livelihoods and self-help groups, followed by Food and Civil Supplies.
A Career That Moved Beyond Rajasthan
Thakur’s first major Central deputation began in 2009. He served as Private Secretary to the Union Minister for Rural Development, followed by a stint with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
He then worked as Director in the Ministry of Power. By this point, his career had moved from district administration into sectors that required coordination across departments and levels of government.
In 2017, another major shift followed. He was appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Defence and subsequently served as Joint Secretary in the newly created Department of Military Affairs.
The move placed a career administrator from the civil services within a major institutional restructuring of India’s defence administration.
From Defence to India’s Infrastructure Push
In December 2021, Thakur was appointed Additional Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). It was here that infrastructure, logistics and industrial policy became central to his work.
As part of the PM GatiShakti framework, he chaired multiple meetings of the Network Planning Group, where infrastructure proposals involving roads, railways, urban development, industrial corridors and other sectors were examined through the framework’s integrated planning approach.
His responsibilities also extended to areas connected with the National Logistics Policy and infrastructure connectivity. The role brought together several strands of his earlier career: infrastructure, public administration, inter-ministerial coordination and development planning.
The NITI Aayog Chapter
In February 2025, Thakur joined NITI Aayog as Adviser. His responsibilities there included areas such as Governance and Reforms, Infrastructure Connectivity, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development.
The transition was significant. After years spent administering programmes and institutions, Thakur was now working at an institution focused on policy formulation, governance reform and long-term development strategy.
Now, Manipur
On 1 September 2026, Rajeev Singh Thakur took charge as Chief Secretary of Manipur. His appointment is through an inter-cadre deputation from Rajasthan, approved by the Centre until 30 June 2029, which is also his scheduled date of superannuation.
Along with the Chief Secretary’s office, he has been assigned responsibilities including DP/Cabinet/Planning, Chief Vigilance Commissioner and Principal Resident Commissioner, Manipur Bhawan, New Delhi.
It is a striking point in his career. The officer who began in Rajasthan’s subdivisions and districts, moved through rural development and public health, worked in defence and military affairs, then spent years dealing with industry, logistics, infrastructure and governance at the Centre, now stands at the top of Manipur’s administrative machinery.
His career has never followed one straight administrative lane. It has moved through the many layers of government, from the district to the national policy table. And in Manipur, all those experiences now come together.
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