V Somasundaran appointed as the new aviation secretary

NEW DELHI: The government on Friday announced a set of secretary-level appointments, selecting 1979-batch Kerala cadre IAS officer V Somasundaran as the new aviation secretary and transferred current aviation secretary Ashok Lavasa to the environment ministry.

Former Indian Airlines chairman and managing director Sunil Arora, an IAS from Rajasthan cadre has meanwhile been appointed as secretary in the newly created Department of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship under ministry of skill development, entrepreneurship, youth affairs and Sports. IAS officer Rakesh Singh, who is working in Punjab, will take over the charge of steel secretary from G Mohan Kumar (a 1979 batch IAS officer of Odisha cadre), who has in turn been appointed as secretary, Department of Defence Production, said an order issued by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC). The transfer of the civil aviation secretary is the second major change in the aviation ministry after the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government took charge.