Manoj Kumar Singh, a 1988-batch IAS officer known for his management skills and as one of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s “trusted” officials in the Uttar Pradesh bureaucracy, has been appointed as the new chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh.
His appointment came after the conclusion of the third extension of Chief Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra’s term. Mishra, who assumed the role of UP chief secretary in 2021, did not receive a fourth extension.
Manoj Kumar Singh, a Jharkhand native, is the most senior officer at the secretariat. He has occupied important administrative roles, including the chief secretary’s top two positions. These include the commissioners for infrastructure and industrial development, agriculture production, Panchayati Raj Additional chief secretary, chief executive officer of the Uttar Pradesh State Highway Authority, and Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority. According to sources, he is expected to continue holding additional responsibility for a few of the current positions for a while, aside from the chief secretary position.
Singh is regarded as an honest but soft-spoken officer. He has served a number of important positions in various governments and is scheduled to retire in August of next year. Previously, these included leading the departments of tourism, Panchayati Raj, and rural development.
Previously, he was the district magistrate over districts including Lalitpur, Moradabad, Pilibhit, Gautam Buddha Nagar, and Aligarh. He also held the position of CEO of NOIDA for a brief period in 2010.
He is well-liked in the Uttar Pradesh bureaucracy, and many people think that Adityanath’s influence over the chief secretary’s choice is reflected in his appointment.
As the Infrastructure and Industrial Development commissioner, he was recognized for the success of the Global Investor Summit 2023 in Uttar Pradesh. The government claimed to have received over Rs 40 lakh crore worth of investment proposals, revised investment-centric policies, and arranged road shows featuring officials and ministers to different states and countries for invitations.
