Shri Shekhar Dutt, Defence Secretary has been appointed as Deputy National Security Advisor. He will hold this post in the National Security Council Secretariat for Strategic and Defence related subjects. Shri Dutt will be in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India and will hold the post for a period of two years in the first instance or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Shri Dutt was appointed as Defence Secretary in July 2005. Prior to this appointment, he was Secretary Defence Production. He is an IAS officer of the 1969 batch of the Madhya Pradesh cadre. He has also served in the Army and for his role in the Western Sector during 1971 War; he was awarded Sena Medal for gallantry.
In his long and distinguished career in the Indian Administrative service, Shri Dutt held several key posts, which include Director General Sports Authority of India and Principal Secretary in the Department of Tribal and Scheduled Caste Welfare and Principal Secretary, Departments of School Education, Sports & Youth Welfare both in the Government of Madhya Pradesh. Shri Dutt also held the appointment of Secretary, Department of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homeopathy in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
During his tenure in the Sports Authority of India, Shri Dutt played a pivotal role in the successful conduct of the First Afro-Asian Games in November 2003. As the Principal Secretary, Tribal Welfare Shri Dutt was instrumental in drawing up a number of schemes including special projects concerning area development, collection and marketing of minor forest produce and forest village development through joint forest management mechanism.
In his capacity as Principal Secretary in the Departments of School Education, Sports & Youth Welfare, Shri Dutt was credited with the introduction of an innovative programme called Education Guarantee Scheme in which the community panchayats owned and administered the schools. The scheme helped in universalizing elementary education in Madhya Pradesh to a great extent.
samir/raj
(Release ID :29458)