New Delhi: Vishvajit Sahay, a 1990 batch officer of the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS), assumed the charge as Secretary (Defence Finance) in the Ministry of Defence, an official statement said on Friday.
Prior to this appointment, he served as the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA).
An alumnus of St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi and a law graduate, Sahay brings over three decades of extensive experience in Defence Finance and Public Administration.
According to a ministry statement, he has held several key positions, including Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Department of Science and Technology; Joint Secretary in the Department of Heavy Industries; Finance Manager (Acquisition Wing) in the Ministry of Defence; and Director in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Within the Defence Accounts Department, he has served in various capacities such as Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions), Prayagraj, Joint CGDA and Special CGDA.
He also represented India at various international training forums, including those at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, and the George C. Marshall European Centre for Security Studies, Germany.
Meanwhile, Bharat Khera has assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
A 1995-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, Khera brings with him more than three decades of administrative experience across key assignments in both the Central and State Governments. Prior to assuming his present role, he served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs, according to an official statement.
Khera served for over five years as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence from November 2014 to February 2020.
As Joint Secretary (Air), he handled matters related to the Indian Air Force and was also entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating national ceremonial events, including Republic Day celebrations, for four consecutive years from 2017 to 2020.
He additionally oversaw matters related to the Border Roads Organisation and international cooperation in the Ministry of Defence.
Subsequently, Khera served as Joint Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat for nearly two years, where he handled the Commerce and Industry and Technology verticals and contributed to strategic policy-making during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The MSME sector contributes over 30 per cent to India’s GDP and plays a pivotal role in employment generation, manufacturing and exports.
(IANS)
