Rajesh Aggarwal is a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1989 batch, belonging to the Maharashtra cadre. He currently serves as Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India. He also holds the ex-officio role of Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities.
Education & Background
Born on 12 November 1966 in Jalandhar, Punjab, Rajesh Aggarwal earned a B.Tech in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi in 1987. He joined the Indian Administrative Service on 21 August 1989.
Career and Appointments
Early and State-Level Roles
Aggarwal began his career in Maharashtra, serving initially as Assistant Collector in Thane. He later held district leadership roles including as District Magistrate in Akola and Jalgaon. At the state level, he held pivotal roles such as Secretary in the Information Technology Department and Secretary of the Finance Department.
Central Government Positions
At the central level, Rajesh Aggarwal served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. He also held roles in the Cabinet Secretariat, along with holding Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser responsibilities in the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
He led the Department of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship as Secretary from 2021 to 2022. In 2022, he was appointed as Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, which he continues to hold.
In May 2025, he was given additional charge as Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs for a brief period from 14 to 23 May, during the leave of the incumbent Secretary.
Key Initiatives or Focus Areas
As head of DEPwD, Rajesh Aggarwal has actively advanced policy frameworks aimed at enhancing accessibility, inclusion, and empowerment for persons with disabilities. Key areas of focus include:
- Championing accessible infrastructure and digital inclusion measures across government services.
- Promoting affordable assistive technology, localized production, and indigenization of assisted devices.
- Launching financial inclusion measures such as a 1 percent rebate on loan interest under disability-focused credit schemes.
- Advocating the rights of persons with disabilities through leadership in the Accessible India Campaign and efforts to align policy with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
Summary
Rajesh Aggarwal is a veteran civil servant known for his expertise in governance, digital innovation, and inclusion policy. As Secretary of DEPwD and Chief Commissioner, he leads India’s efforts to mainstream disability inclusion, from assistive technology access to institutional reforms. His leadership has emphasized financial, structural, and legal empowerment of persons with disabilities at the national level.