Imphal: After more than three decades across district administration, state government and senior Central Government assignments, 1995-batch IAS officer Rajeev Singh Thakur is set to take charge as the Chief Secretary of Manipur. The Centre has approved his inter-cadre deputation from the Rajasthan cadre to Manipur until June 30, 2029, his scheduled date of superannuation.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the deputation by relaxing the existing policy provisions. The proposal was moved by the Department of Personnel and Training after curtailing Thakur’s ongoing central deputation. As Chief Secretary, he will be responsible for DP, Cabinet and Planning matters. He will also hold the additional charge of Chief Vigilance Commissioner and Principal Resident Commissioner, Manipur Bhawan, New Delhi.

Thakur’s career has included both extensive field administration and senior policymaking at the Centre. In Rajasthan, he served as Sub-Divisional Officer in Pali and Rajsamand and later as Additional District Collector in Jaipur.

He subsequently served as District Collector in Banswara, Bhilwara, Alwar, Karauli and Sri Ganganagar. These postings gave him experience in district administration, implementation of government programmes and coordination among different departments. He also held responsibilities in the Rajasthan government in areas including Rural Development, Livelihood Projects and Food & Civil Supplies.

His move to the Central Government brought a different set of responsibilities. In 2017, he was appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence and later served as Joint Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs. He subsequently became Additional Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Thakur has also served in the Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Ministry of Railways. In February 2025, he joined NITI Aayog as an Adviser, where his work included matters related to administration, governance and infrastructure.

His appointment comes as Manipur continues to address the administrative and humanitarian consequences of prolonged ethnic violence. The state government faces the continuing task of restoring normal governance, supporting relief and rehabilitation efforts and improving coordination across departments.

The Chief Secretary is the senior-most administrative officer in the state and has a key role in coordinating government departments, implementing decisions of the political executive and maintaining administrative coordination with the Centre. Thakur’s experience across district administration and central policymaking will now come into play in this role.

His additional responsibilities as Chief Vigilance Commissioner and Principal Resident Commissioner will add to the scope of the assignment, with the latter involving coordination and liaison work in New Delhi.

The move also marks a change of cadre for Thakur. While he belongs to the Rajasthan cadre, the Centre has approved his inter-cadre deputation to Manipur for the remainder of his service. Born on June 29, 1969, he is due to retire on June 30, 2029.

Thakur is married to Roli Singh, a 1997-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre who has also held senior positions in the Central Government.

He will now move from his most recent assignment at NITI Aayog to the top administrative position in Manipur, bringing experience from district-level governance, state administration and senior positions across the Central Government.

BI Bureau