RK Singh upraised to the rank of Union Cabinet Minister
R K Singh upraised as a Cabinet Minister from Minister of State, yesterday. Serving under the Modi government, he had meticulously handled the power sector reforms plans that made India a power surplus nation.
Civil servant turned legislator Raj Kumar Singh whose well-ordered handling of power sector reforms agenda under Modi government making India a power surplus nation, was on Wednesday raised to the rank of Union Cabinet Minister. Prior to this upraise, he was serving as the Minister of State for Power.
R K Singh took the oath as Union Cabinet Minister administered by the President of India, Honourable Shri Ram Nath Kovind, at the event held on Wednesday evening.
Singh, who has been chosen twice for Lok Sabha in 2014 and 2019 from Arrah in Bihar, had become Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power also and New and Renewable Energy in September 2017. He held the two services till May 2019.
After his re-appointment to the seventeenth Lok Sabha in May 2019, he held the two portfolios. He additionally got the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship as Minister of State.
During his tenure, he dealt with the power grid challenges and managed to implement much-needed reforms for the distribution area which has been debt-loaded for quite a long time. Additionally, he also worked in the clean energy space to help boost the capacity additions of renewable energy sources like solar and wind in the country.
During his tenure as Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy, the solar power tariffs in the country dropped to a record low of INR 1.99 per unit. Likewise, the wind energy tariff has also fallen below INR 3 per unit in auctions for projects in India.
Career Journey
Singh had started off his career as an Indian Police Services (IPS) officer in 1974. Later, he has served as District Magistrate, in East Champaran and Patna between from 1981 to 1985. He also served as Director and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence during the period of 1991 to 1996.
In 1997, he became Home Secretary, Government of Bihar, and served till 1999. He also served as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, (2000 to 2005).
From 2006 to 2009, he was Principal Secretary, Road Construction Department, Government of Bihar. Then he served as Union Secretary of Defence Production from 2009 to 2011. He also held the position of Union Home Secretary during the period of 2011 to 2013.
