New Delhi/IBNS: In a major reshuffle at the bureaucrat level, the central government has appointed Rajesh Kumar Singh, who is currently serving as the secretary for the department for promotion of industry and internal trade, as the new defence secretary, media reports said.

He will succeed Aramane Giridhar who will retire on October 31, 2024.

He will initially take over as the OSD in the ministry before assuming the new charge.

Senior bureaucrat Punya Salila Srivastava has been appointed Health Secretary as part of the major top-level bureaucratic reshuffle.

Srivastava, who is currently Special Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office, will initially take over as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Department of Health and Family Welfare, according to a Personnel Ministry order. She will take over as the Health Secretary after Apurva Chandra retires on September 30.

Financial Services Secretary Vivek Joshi will be Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the government order said.

Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Nagaraju Maddirala, who is currently Additional Secretary in the Coal Ministry, will be the new Financial Services Secretary in place of Joshi.