Shailesh Kumar Singh is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1991 batch, belonging to the Jharkhand cadre. He currently serves as Secretary, Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India.
Education & Background
Shailesh Kumar Singh holds a Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and a Master in Public Administration in International Development from Harvard University. He has over three decades of administrative experience across sectors such as small and medium enterprises, steel, coal, transport, urban development, elections, information technology, education, and human resource development.
Career and Appointments
Early and Mid-Career Roles
Singh began his civil service career following his induction into the IAS in 1991. He held various assignments across the Jharkhand cadre and in central government roles, working in industries, transport, election administration, and urban development.
Secretary, Department of Rural Development
On 1 December 2022, he was appointed as Secretary, Department of Rural Development, after serving as Additional Secretary and Development Commissioner in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. In his current role, he leads the formulation, coordination, and implementation of flagship rural development programs, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), and the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM).
In early 2023, he also briefly held additional charge of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, managing the responsibilities of the ministry until a permanent appointment was made.
Key Initiatives or Focus Areas
As Secretary of Rural Development, Singh has focused on:
- Empowering self-help groups through the SARAS livelihood fairs, promoting rural artisans and expanding market access.
- Launching the “SARATHI” mobile application under the DAY-NRLM scheme to streamline service delivery and improve outreach to the most vulnerable rural households.
- Enhancing the performance and impact of national rural programs through better digital tools, monitoring systems, and decentralized governance practices.
Summary
Shailesh Kumar Singh is a senior IAS officer known for his multidisciplinary administrative experience and leadership in rural development. As Secretary, he oversees India’s most critical welfare programs aimed at poverty alleviation, employment generation, and rural infrastructure. His work reflects a strong focus on leveraging technology and community-based initiatives to improve the quality of life in rural India.