Dilip Kumar IAS appointed as Director General (Training)- Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship
Shri Dilip Kumar IAS (Punjab 1996), presently Director General (Training), Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, has been appointed as Director General (Training), Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.
Shri Dilip Kumar, an officer of the 1995 batch of the Indian Administrative Service from the Punjab cadre, has built an extensive administrative career spanning district administration, finance, home affairs, law and justice, health, information technology, external affairs, vigilance and skill development. His professional journey reflects considerable experience across both field administration and senior responsibilities in the State and Union Governments.
His academic background combines legal, administrative and social science education. Shri Kumar holds an LL.B. in Law and a Graduate degree in Anthropology. He has also completed a Master of Public Administration and a Diploma in Leadership in International and NGO settings. This multidisciplinary academic foundation has complemented his wide exposure to public administration and institutional governance.
Shri Kumar began his administrative career with field assignments as Sub-Divisional Magistrate and later Additional Deputy Commissioner in Nawanshahr. He subsequently served as Additional Commissioner in Ludhiana, gaining experience in municipal administration and urban development. He also served as Additional Managing Director in the Cooperation Department, adding exposure to cooperative administration and institutional management.
His early career included significant responsibilities in district administration. He served as Deputy Commissioner of Muktsar, where he handled the broad range of responsibilities associated with district governance, land administration and public service delivery. He later served on deputation in Chandigarh in finance-related assignments, including as Joint Secretary and Additional District Magistrate.
Shri Kumar subsequently served as Special Secretary in the Irrigation Department and in the Health and Family Welfare Department of Punjab. He later took up responsibilities in the Finance Department, serving as Special Secretary, Project Director and Secretary. He also served as Director in the Treasury and Accounts Department, gaining substantial exposure to public finance and financial administration.
His career at the Union Government level included a stint as Director in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, followed by responsibilities in the external affairs domain. He served as Private Secretary and later handled senior assignments connected with external affairs. These positions provided him with exposure to international relations and the functioning of the Union Government at the policy level.
Shri Kumar subsequently served on inter-cadre deputation in Bihar, where he held important responsibilities in the Home Department, including as Additional Secretary. He also served as Director General in the Prosecution and Litigation Department and as Inspector General of Jails. These assignments gave him experience in law and justice, prison administration and internal security-related governance.
He later served in the Ministry of Home Affairs in senior positions and subsequently as Joint Secretary in the National Human Rights Commission. His responsibilities in this phase of his career brought together his experience in public administration, law, governance and institutional oversight.
In 2019, Shri Kumar was associated with the Department of Personnel and Training and the Lokpal, initially as Officer on Special Duty and subsequently as Joint Secretary. His responsibilities in the personnel and vigilance domain added another important dimension to his administrative experience.
Returning to Punjab, Shri Kumar served as Principal Secretary in areas including Employment Generation and Training, Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, and NRI Affairs. Since January 2025, he has been serving as Additional Chief Secretary in the State Government.
In December 2025, Shri Dilip Kumar was appointed Director General (Training), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, at the level of Additional Secretary equivalent. The assignment places him in a key position connected with skill development and the strengthening of training systems for India’s workforce.
With a career spanning more than three decades, Shri Dilip Kumar has worked across district administration, finance, health, irrigation, home affairs, law and justice, human rights, vigilance, external affairs and skill development. His broad administrative exposure and multidisciplinary academic background have enabled him to contribute across a wide range of governance responsibilities. His progression through diverse assignments reflects the depth and versatility of experience he brings to public administration.
Indian Bureaucracy News wishes Shri Dilip Kumar the very best.