Rajeev Singh Thakur IAS appointed as Adviser- NITI Aayog
Shri Rajeev Singh Thakur IAS (Rajasthan 1996), presently Adviser, NITI Aayog, has been appointed as Adviser, NITI Aayog, in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.
Shri Rajeev Singh Thakur, an officer of the 1996 batch of the Indian Administrative Service from the Rajasthan cadre, has built a wide-ranging administrative career spanning district administration, rural development, health, food and civil supplies, defence, commerce and industry, and national policy. His professional journey reflects extensive experience across both field administration and senior positions in the Government of India.
Academically, Shri Thakur holds a Graduate degree in Physics and a Postgraduate degree in Economics. His academic background combines a foundation in the sciences with advanced training in economics, providing a broad base for understanding both technical and policy-related aspects of governance.
Shri Thakur began his administrative career with field assignments as Sub-Divisional Officer in Pali and Rajsamand. He subsequently served as Additional Collector (Development) in Rajsamand and Additional Collector in Jaipur. These early assignments provided him with valuable exposure to district administration, development programmes and public service delivery.
His experience in district administration was further strengthened through postings as District Collector and District Magistrate in Banswara, Bhilwara, Alwar, Karauli and Sri Ganganagar. These assignments covered diverse regions of Rajasthan and involved responsibilities related to land and revenue administration, development coordination, public administration and district governance. The experience gained through these field postings formed an important foundation for his later responsibilities at the state and national levels.
Shri Thakur also served in the Home Department of Rajasthan, where he handled responsibilities relating to human rights. He later worked in the Medical and Health Department, including responsibilities connected with health administration and Information, Education and Communication activities. These assignments gave him exposure to sectors requiring extensive coordination between government institutions and the public.
His career subsequently moved towards senior policy and administrative roles. He served as Private Secretary in the Department of Rural Development and later in the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways at the Government of India. These assignments provided him with close exposure to ministerial functioning, policy coordination and national-level administration.
He later served as Director in the power sector before returning to important responsibilities in the Government of Rajasthan. As Secretary-Cum-Commissioner in the Rural Development and Employment Guarantee Department, he handled responsibilities connected with rural development and employment programmes. He also served as Secretary and Mission Director for Livelihood Projects and Self Help Groups, bringing together administrative experience with the implementation of development-oriented initiatives.
Shri Thakur subsequently served as Secretary to the Government in the Food and Civil Supplies Department of Rajasthan. His career at the Union Government level then expanded significantly with his appointment as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence. He served in the Department of Defence and later in the Department of Military Affairs, gaining experience in a strategically important area of national governance.
In December 2021, he was appointed Additional Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. His responsibilities in the commerce and industry sector further broadened his administrative experience into areas relating to industrial policy, economic development and the business environment.
Since December 2024, Shri Rajeev Singh Thakur has been serving as Adviser, NITI Aayog, at the level of Additional Secretary equivalent. The assignment places him in an important policy environment where his experience across administration, defence, rural development, commerce and industry can contribute to wider policy deliberations.
With a career spanning more than three decades, Shri Rajeev Singh Thakur has worked across the full spectrum of governance—from field administration and district leadership to senior responsibilities in defence, commerce and national policy. His varied experience, supported by an academic background in both Physics and Economics, has enabled him to bring a multidimensional perspective to public administration. His progression through diverse assignments reflects the breadth of responsibilities entrusted to him during a long and substantial career in the Indian Administrative Service.
Indian Bureaucracy News wishes Shri Rajeev Singh Thakur the very best.