Senior IAS Officer Subodh Kumar Singh Appointed as New NTA Director General

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced the appointment of Senior IAS Officer Subodh Kumar Singh as the new Director General (DG) of the organization. This move comes as part of a bureaucratic reshuffle ordered by the Central Government. Singh, an IAS Officer of the 1997 batch from the Chhattisgarh Cadre, will be taking over the reins from Vineet Joshi.

With an illustrious career spanning several domains, Subodh Kumar Singh currently serves as the additional secretary in the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. His expertise and experience in this field make him well-suited to lead the NTA in its mission to ensure fair and efficient conduct of various national-level entrance examinations.

Singh’s appointment brings a wave of change, not only within the NTA but also within the Department of Food and Public Distribution. To fill the void left by Singh, Richa Sharma, the additional secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has been named as his successor.

Having cleared the prestigious UPSC Civil Services Exam in 1997, Subodh Kumar Singh joined the esteemed Indian Administrative Services (IAS). Prior to his administrative career, he obtained a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT Roorkee, showcasing his strong academic foundation.

His predecessor, Vineet Joshi, served as the DG of NTA since 2018 and was also appointed as the Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in February 2022. Joshi, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), possesses a diverse educational background with a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from IIFT.

In another notable appointment, Senior Officer Amit Agarwal, also from the Chhattisgarh Cadre, has been named as the new CEO of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. Agarwal’s wealth of experience and expertise will contribute to the effective management and implementation of the Aadhaar program.

These recent changes in leadership within key government organizations reflect the government’s commitment to bringing in capable individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences. The appointments of Subodh Kumar Singh as the NTA Director General and Amit Agarwal as the UIDAI CEO pave the way for a fresh perspective and renewed focus on delivering excellence in their respective domains.