Who is the new Chairman of Airports Authority of India?

New Delhi: Arvind Singh has been appointed as the Chairman of Airports Authority of India, a miniratna category-1 PSU under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). Singh, an IAS officer of 1988 batch, Maharastra cadre is currently serving in his home cadre. Anuj Agrawal, AAI's member HR has been handling the additional charge of the chairman since August 1, 2019 after then Chairman, Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra moved to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as Secretary, on September 30.

Prior to the current appointment, Arvind Singh has carried out varied roles of Principal Secretary, Energy. His previous assignment was as Managing Director of Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Ltd. MSETCL) and Private Secretary to the Union Agriculture Minister at New Delhi. Singh is taking charge of Chairman, AAI at a time when privatisation of Airports is going on at full throttle. Tuesday only Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, MoCA, said that the government will continue with privatisation and more airports will be privatised soon.

Education & Early Life

Arvind Singh, joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1988 in Maharashtra Cadre, after studying economics at St. Stephen's College and the Delhi School of Economics. His first assignment was as Assistant Collector at Aurangabad in Maharashtra from 1990-1992. Later, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Aurangabad Zila Parishad from 1992-94 and as Chief Executive Officer of Nagpur Zilla Parishad from 1994-96.

New Chairman of Airports Authority of India joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1988 in Maharashtra Cadre, after studying economics at St. Stephen's College and the Delhi School of Economics. His first assignment was as Assistant Collector at Aurangabad in Maharashtra from 1990-1992

At Nagpur, he also served as Member Secretary of the Vidharbha Statutory Development Board from 1996-97. During 1997-98, he worked in the office of the Chief Secretary, Maharashtra at Mumbai before moving to Kolhapur as District Collector from 1998 to 2001.

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Rich administrative experience

Moving to the centre, he joined as Dy. Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India. He worked as Private Secretary to the Union Minister of Shipping from December 2001 to May 2003. Singh has also served as Director (Pharmaceuticals Industry) in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Govt. of India during 2003-04. He has worked as Private Secretary to the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution from 2004-05 and to the Minister of Agriculture from 2005-09. The new chairman, AAI, speaks English, Hindi and Marathi.

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