IAS Officer Giridhar Aramane Takes Charge As New Defence Secretary

Giridhar Aramane, a seasoned bureaucrat, took over as the new defence secretary on Tuesday, at a time when the government is focusing on modernising the three services.

Before his new position, Aramane, a 1988-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, was secretary of the ministry of road transport and roads and took over for Ajay Kumar, who retired on Monday.

Aramane lay a wreath at the National War Memorial to honour the fallen troops before taking command.

"We take inspiration from these Bravehearts and resolve to work hard to make India a safe and prosperous country," he said.

Aramane has held many key posts in both the national and state governments during his 32-year tenure as an IAS officer. 

He also worked in the cabinet secretariat as an additional secretary. Aramane was the executive director in charge of inspections at the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) and oversaw the exploration division in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

He holds a B Tech in Civil Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad and an M Tech degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras.

He also earned an MA in Economics from Kakatiya University in Warangal.