The Maharashtra government on Friday appointed senior IAS officer Rajesh Aggarwal,(1989 batch) as the new Chief Secretary of the state. He will replace Rajesh Kumar, whose extended tenure ends on November 30. Aggarwal, is expected to get a one-year term, and he will assume charge the same day.
Returns to Maharashtra After Long Central Deputation
Aggarwal recently returned to Mumbai after spending nearly a decade on central deputation in Delhi. After coming back, he was placed in the General Administration Department as Additional Chief Secretary, handling Administrative Reforms and Good Governance.
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During his time in Delhi, Aggarwal served in several important roles. He worked as Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, and later as Secretary, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Before that, he held key positions such as Director General, Training, in the Skill Development Ministry, Joint Secretary in the Tribal Affairs Ministry, and Joint Secretary in the Department of Financial Services.
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Who Is Rajesh Aggarwal?
Born on 12 November 1966 in Jalandhar (Punjab), Rajesh Aggarwal is an IAS officer from the Maharashtra cadre. A graduate of IIT Delhi, he holds a B.Tech in Computer Science, a qualification that has strongly influenced his approach to governance.
Throughout his career, Aggarwal has focused on technology-led reforms, data-driven decision-making, and cleaning government databases to remove fake beneficiaries while ensuring subsidies reach genuine ones. He is widely known for advocating the use of digital tools to curb corruption and improve public service delivery.
Strong Role in National Digital Missions
Aggarwal has been closely associated with major national initiatives such as Aadhaar, the Jan Dhan Yojana, and digital projects like DigiLocker and Jeevan Pramaan. These platforms later became crucial components of India’s digital governance ecosystem.
Nearly a Decade on Central Deputation
Since January 2015, Aggarwal has worked across important ministries including Skill Development, Petroleum, Tribal Affairs, Financial Services, and Social Welfare.
In Maharashtra, he previously served as Collector of Akola, and worked in departments such as Information Technology and Accounts & Treasury.
With his appointment as the new Chief Secretary, Aggarwal will now oversee key administrative decisions in Maharashtra until November next year.