As first reported by Legendofficers.com on October 29, the Maharashtra government on Friday (November 28, 2025) issued orders appointing senior IAS officer Rajesh Aggarwal (IAS:1989:MH) as the next Chief Secretary of the state. He will assume charge after the retirement of the incumbent, Sanjay Kumar (IAS:1988:MH), on November 30, 2025. Aggarwal will continue to hold his current portfolio as Additional Chief Secretary – Administrative Reforms, Excellence & Good Governance.
Notably, we were the first in the national media to report that his repatriation to Maharashtra—after nearly a decade on central deputation—was initiated at the request of the state government specifically to appoint him as the next Chief Secretary.
Aggarwal is known for his strong technological expertise. An IIT Delhi graduate with a B.Tech in Computer Science, he joined the IAS in 1989 and has continued to pursue his passion for algorithms, natural language understanding, fuzzy logic, and technology for public good. He has led multiple big data–driven reforms, enabling better beneficiary targeting and the elimination of bogus records.
His contributions to India’s major digital transformation initiatives include key roles in Aadhaar, Jan Dhan, DigiLocker, and Jeevan Pramaan. He has also authored more than 70 judgments under the IT Act, helping shape India’s cyber jurisprudence.
A strong advocate for accessibility and inclusion, Aggarwal has played an important role in ensuring that government buildings, websites, and voting systems are accessible to persons with disabilities. He is also a pioneer in Indian language computing, having managed VOTER databases across 15 languages and developing Unicode and fuzzy-matching solutions.
When he was repatriated to Maharashtra, Aggarwal was serving as Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, a role he held since September 2022. He had been on central deputation since January 2015, where he held several senior positions, including:
- Joint Secretary, Financial Services
- Joint Secretary, Tribal Affairs
- Joint Secretary, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship
- Additional Secretary & Director General, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship
- Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (from 2019)
- Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (from September 2021)
In his home cadre, Aggarwal began his career as Assistant Collector, Thane, and went on to serve as District Collector, Akola, besides holding several significant assignments in the Departments of Rural Development, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries.
Also Read: Rajesh Aggarwal repatriated to Maharashtra; Seen as likely CS successor
Also Read: Rajesh Aggarwal gets posting as ACS in General Administrative Department
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