B. K. Singh, new Secretary Education, J&K: A profile

By: Nasir Azam  

Srinagar: Bishwajit Kumar Singh, an Indian Forest Service Officer, has taken over as the new administrative secretary of School Education Department in J&K. An IFS officer of J&K cadre, Mr Singh has lately served in several positions related to the education sector.

Sources in administration of Jammu & Kashmir told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that Singh’s experience in helming an autonomous institution managing affairs of more than 600 schools prompted the government to assign him charge of the department which is usually used by IAS officers.

“He has held Joint Secretary level position in the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) before returning to his parent cadre earlier this year,” they said.

The officer of 1989 batch served as commissioner, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) for five- year period (2015-2020) before returning to J&K.

The NVS, an autonomous organization under ministry of Education and Literacy, runs more than 600 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) in different states and union territories.

JNVs are fully residential and co-educational schools affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, with classes from VI to XII standard. These institutions are specifically tasked with finding talented children in rural areas of India and providing them with an education equivalent to the best residential school system, without regard to their families’ socio-economic condition.

In May this year, he was also assigned the additional charge of chairman, National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).

Singh, an officer of 1989 batch, is the 7th senior most IFS officer of Jammu & Kashmir cadre.

At present, Sanjay Kumar Singh, an IFS officer of J&K cadre, is working as joint secretary in Union Education Ministry. —(KNO)