New Delhi: Dr. B. Rajender, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, has taken charge as the new Director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie.
He assumed office on July 31, 2026, in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India, succeeding Sriram Taranikanti (IAS:1992:TR) as the Director of LBSNAA.
The appointment marks a significant new phase in the career of an officer whose nearly three decades in public administration have taken him from district administration in Bihar to senior positions in agriculture, finance, education, general administration and the Government of India, besides an international diplomatic assignment in Rome.
A scientist by training, Dr. Rajender holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Agriculture and a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology. His diverse experience, particularly in administration, agriculture and education, now comes to the country’s premier institution for training civil servants.
From Scientist to Senior Administrator
Born on June 25, 1967, Dr Rajender is a Bihar cadre IAS officer of the 1995 batch. The Bihar government’s official IAS database lists his qualifications as a doctorate in Plant Pathology and an M.Sc. in Agriculture.
His academic background is notable because much of his administrative career has involved sectors closely connected with agriculture, rural development and public service delivery.
He entered the IAS in 1995 and began his field career in Bihar. His first posting was as Assistant Collector and Assistant Magistrate in Munger, where he served from 1996. He subsequently worked as Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Danapur and Jhanjharpur.
His early postings gave him extensive exposure to grassroots administration before he moved into wider district and state-level responsibilities.
Extensive Experience in District Administration
In 1999, IAS Rajender moved to the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department before returning to field administration.
He subsequently served as District Collector and District Magistrate in several districts, including Dhanbad, Madhubani, Kaimur, Patna and Saran, among other important assignments. His district-level experience exposed him to land administration, law and order, development programmes and the implementation of government schemes.
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The breadth of his district experience became one of the defining features of his administrative career, giving him exposure to both urban and rural governance.
According to available service records, his career has included a wide range of assignments spanning district administration, agriculture, personnel management, finance, social welfare and senior state administration.
Agriculture Remained a Major Part of His Career
Given his academic background in agriculture and plant pathology, Rajender went on to hold several important positions in Bihar’s agriculture-related departments.
He served as Director of Agriculture, Director of Agriculture and Horticulture, Deputy Managing Director of the Bihar State Seeds Corporation and Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Board.
These assignments allowed him to combine his scientific training with administrative responsibilities in agriculture, an area of considerable importance to Bihar’s rural economy.
He also handled responsibilities in the Finance and Social Welfare departments, adding financial management and welfare administration to his experience.
Six Years of Central and International Experience
Rajender later moved to the Government of India, where he served as Joint Secretary in the Ministries of Water Resources and Agriculture.
One of the most distinctive phases of his career came during his international assignment in Rome, Italy. From 2019 to 2022, he served as Minister (Agriculture) at the Embassy of India in Rome, where he represented India’s interests in international agricultural cooperation and participated in global agricultural forums, including those associated with the Food and Agriculture Organization.
The assignment gave him experience in international diplomacy, multilateral engagement and agricultural policy beyond the Indian administrative system.
He returned to Bihar in 2022 and took up a senior role in the General Administration Department, dealing with personnel and administrative affairs.
From General Administration to Bihar’s Education Department
Rajender’s subsequent years in Bihar saw him take charge of several important departments.
He was elevated to the rank of Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) and handled responsibilities including General Administration, Sports, Rural Works and Education, among other assignments.
In August 2025, the Bihar government transferred him to the Education Department as its new Additional Chief Secretary, succeeding S. Siddharth. He formally took charge as ACS Education on September 1, 2025.
It was during this tenure that Rajender became closely associated with administrative efforts aimed at improving Bihar’s school education system.
How IAS B. Rajender Made His Mark on Bihar’s Education System
As ACS of the Education Department, Mr Rajender’s approach focused on strengthening systems, improving accountability and making administrative processes more transparent.
One of the notable initiatives under his leadership was the introduction of new digital guidelines for teachers’ transfers. The revised process required government school teachers seeking inter-district transfers to apply online through the e-Shikshakosh portal, with applicants required to indicate their preferred districts. The system was aimed at bringing greater transparency and reducing the scope for irregularities in transfers.
His tenure also saw an emphasis on strengthening monitoring mechanisms and addressing administrative issues involving teachers, vacancies and school functioning.
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In April 2026, Mr Rajender directed officials to conduct a block-wise audit of sanctioned and vacant posts as part of efforts to optimise workforce distribution in the education system.
He was also involved in efforts to improve school enrolment. In April 2026, the Education Department launched a month-long drive to ensure age-appropriate admission for every child between six and 14 years for the 2026-27 academic session. Rajender directed all 38 district magistrates to oversee the campaign, with teachers, anganwadi workers, school committees and community-level workers involved in identifying and enrolling children.
His tenure also included attention to teacher recruitment and vacancies, including preparations related to the fourth phase of the Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE-4).
The Education Department also worked on collaborations with private organisations and NGOs to strengthen education quality. These initiatives included teacher and headmaster training, digital literacy, scholarships, online coaching and other programmes intended to connect education with practical skills and opportunities.
Thus, his stint in the Education Department was not limited to routine administration but involved efforts around teacher management, digital processes, enrolment, recruitment, monitoring and broader education quality.
A Focus on Inclusive and Outcome-Oriented Education
IAS Rajender also spoke about the need to build an education system that was inclusive and responsive to the changing needs of students.
During his tenure, the department’s focus included improving the quality of classroom instruction, strengthening teacher training and using technology to improve monitoring.
The broader approach was aimed at moving beyond administrative compliance towards better educational outcomes.
His scientific background also gave his administrative profile a distinctive dimension. From agriculture and plant pathology to education and governance, Mr Rajender’s career has consistently involved sectors where knowledge, institutional systems and public delivery intersect.
The ‘Nameless, Faceless Bureaucrat’
Despite holding several high-profile administrative positions, Mr Rajender has largely maintained a low public profile.
His working style was described by Bihar Information and Public Relations Department official and IAS officer Noopur Jha as that of a “nameless, faceless bureaucracy.”
Mr. Rajender had completed 30 years of service and had been promoted to the rank of Additional Chief Secretary. During his distinguished career, he served as a District Magistrate and worked across several departments, including Agriculture, Labour Resources, Fisheries, and General Administration.
From Bihar’s Administration to LBSNAA
Before moving to LBSNAA, Mr Rajender was serving in senior positions in Bihar and had also held responsibilities in the General Administration Department.
His appointment as Director of LBSNAA places him at the helm of the institution responsible for training India’s civil servants.
The Centre appointed him Director of LBSNAA in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India, with the post being temporarily upgraded to that level. He succeeded Sriram Taranikanti (1992 batch, Tripura cadre), who superannuated on July 31, 2026.
The appointment is particularly significant because of the academy’s role in shaping the professional outlook, administrative capabilities and leadership skills of officers entering India’s civil services.
What Is LBSNAA?
Established in 1959 at Mussoorie, the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration is India’s premier civil services training institution.
The academy conducts foundational and professional training programmes for IAS officers and officers of several other services. It plays a central role in preparing young officers for the responsibilities of public administration, governance and policy implementation.
The Director of LBSNAA therefore occupies a key position in India’s civil service training architecture.
A Career Spanning Field Administration, Policy and Training
Mr Rajender’s career brings together three distinct dimensions of public administration — grassroots governance, policy-level administration and international engagement.
His early years were spent in field and district administration. His scientific background later informed his work in agriculture and rural sectors. His central deputation exposed him to national policymaking, while his Rome assignment added an international dimension.
His return to Bihar brought him into senior administrative roles, including General Administration and Education, where he was involved in institutional reforms, teacher management, enrolment and education monitoring.
Now, as Director of LBSNAA, his experience will be applied to a different but equally important responsibility — preparing the next generation of India’s civil servants.
For an officer who has spent nearly three decades moving between the field, state government, the Centre and international assignments, the LBSNAA directorship represents a culmination of a career rooted in administration, institutional reform and public service.
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