--- title: "Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh gets one-year extension" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singh-gets-one-year-extension" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singh-gets-one-year-extension" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singh-gets-one-year-extension.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singh-gets-one-year-extension" category: "Politics" area: "India" published: "2026-10-24T15:46:27.922Z" source_reported: "2026-10-24T14:46:23.000Z" updated: "2026-10-24T15:46:27.922Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-24T17:31:22.172Z" --- # Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh gets one-year extension *The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the extension until October 31, 2027.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet in two reports, and corroborated by four other outlets. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Two outlets provided full reports, detailing the officer's background and previous roles, while others offered digests. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. Headlines and content are factual and directly state the news without sensationalism. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh's tenure has been extended by one year. - His extended service will last until October 31, 2027. - The extension was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. - The decision was made in relaxation of specific service rules. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved a one-year extension for Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. His tenure will now continue until October 31, 2027. This extension comes after his current term was scheduled to end on October 31, 2026. The approval was granted in relaxation of FR 65(d) and Rule 16 (1A) of the All India Service (Death-Cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958. Rajesh Kumar Singh, a 1989-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, took charge as Defence Secretary on November 1, 2024. He had previously served as Officer on Special Duty for the Defence Secretary role from August 20, 2024. His predecessor, Giridhar Aramane, retired on October 31, 2024. ## Disagreement on tenure length The Hindustan Times reported that the extension was for one year. The Hindu also stated the extension was for one year. The digests from Latestly, aninews.in, India Today, and India TV News all indicated a one-year extension. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mention the relaxation of FR 65(d) and Rule 16 (1A) of the All India Service (Death-Cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958, which was cited in the extension approval. ## Who covered it Shares of the 10 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 10% (1) - Centre: 30% (3) - Right: 60% (6) 3 of 13 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-24T17:31:22.172Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-24T17:45:58.230Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The Hindu reported that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet extended Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh's tenure by one year until October 31, 2027. It noted that his current tenure was due to end on October 31, 2026. The report mentioned the extension was in relaxation of FR 65(d) and Rule 16 (1A) of the All India Service (Death-Cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958. It also stated Singh took over as Defence Secretary on November 1, 2024, and is a 1989-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre. ### Centre - Hindustan Times reported the extension of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh's tenure by one year until October 31, 2027. The report stated the decision came a week before his two-year fixed tenure was due to end on October 31. It highlighted Singh, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, received the extension due to his work in promoting "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" in the defence sector and pushing reforms in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The article noted Singh took charge as the 40th defence secretary on November 1, 2024, succeeding Giridhar Aramane. It also mentioned Singh has held additional charge as secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development, and chairman of DRDO since May 31. The report compared Singh's extension to those of previous defence secretaries, stating none were kept on for as long as Singh will be. ### Right - The digests from Latestly, aninews.in, India Today, and India TV News all reported that Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh received a one-year extension to his tenure, which will now last until October 31, 2027. The digests from Latestly and aninews.in included a quote stating, "The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in the service of Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, IAS (KL:89) as Secretary, Department of Defence, Ministry of Defence, for a period of one year beyond." India Today noted Singh is a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Keralam cadre and took over as Defence Secretary on November 1, 2024. India TV News stated Singh assumed his charges in 2024 and previously served as Officer on Special Duty. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 4 - high: 4 - unknown: 3 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Andhravilas](https://andhravilas.net/central-cabinet-extends-defense-secretary-tenure) — Sensation: Union Cabinet's Sensational Decision on Extending the Tenure of the Defense Secretary! - [ABP News](https://news.abplive.com/news/india/defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singh-gets-one-year-extension-to-remain-in-office-till-2027-1873022) — Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh’s Tenure Extended: When Will His Term End? - [Times of India](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/centre-extends-defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singhs-tenure-by-one-year/articleshow/135173753.cms) — Centre extends Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh's tenure by one year - [The Economic Times](https://m.economictimes.com/news/defence/centre-extends-defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singhs-tenure-by-one-year/articleshow/135173753.cms) — Centre extends Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh's tenure by one year - [Greater Kashmir](https://greaterkashmir.com/national/centre-extends-defence-secretarys-tenure-by-one-year-12747066) — Centre extends defence secretary's tenure by one year - [bhaskarlive.in](https://bhaskarlive.in/others/centre-extends-defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singhs-term-by-one-year-2156991) — Centre extends Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh’s term by one year - [Pragativadi: Leading Odia Dailly](https://pragativadi.com/defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singh-extension) — Rajesh Kumar Singh to Continue as Defence Secretary Until Oct 2027 - [Latestly](https://latestly.com/agency-news/india-news-defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singh-gets-one-year-extension-to-serve-till-october-31-2027-7655850.html) — Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh Gets One-year Extension, to Serve Till October 31, 2027 - [aninews.in](https://aninews.in/news/national/general-news/defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singh-gets-one-year-extension-to-serve-till-october-31-202720261024200304) — Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh gets one-year extension, to serve till October 31, 2027 - [The Hindu](https://thehindu.com/news/national/defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singh-gets-one-year-extension-till-october-2027/article71620562.ece) — Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh gets one-year extension till October 2027 - [India Today](https://indiatoday.in/india/story/defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singh-gets-one-year-extension-till-october-2027-3024356-2026-10-24) — Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh gets one-year extension till October 2027 - [India TV News](https://indiatvnews.com/news/india/centre-extends-tenure-of-defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singh-by-one-year-2026-10-24-1057826) — Centre extends tenure of Defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh by one year - [Hindustan Times](https://hindustantimes.com/india-news/centre-extends-defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singhs-tenure-by-two-years-101792831308390.html) — Centre extends defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh's tenure by one year ## Questions **Who is Rajesh Kumar Singh?** Rajesh Kumar Singh is a 1989-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre who serves as India's Defence Secretary. He took over the role on November 1, 2024. **How long has Rajesh Kumar Singh's tenure been extended?** His tenure as Defence Secretary has been extended by one year. This means he will continue in the role until October 31, 2027. **What rules were relaxed for this extension?** The extension was approved in relaxation of FR 65(d) and Rule 16 (1A) of the All India Service (Death-Cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singh-gets-one-year-extension. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh gets one-year extension", https://mediabias.news/politics/defence-secretary-rajesh-kumar-singh-gets-one-year-extension