Rajesh Aggarwal is an IAS officer from the 1989 batch of the Maharashtra cadre. He hails from Jalandhar, Punjab, and was born on 12 November 1966, making him 58 years old. Although details about his wife are not publicly available, his contributions to the government are widely recognized. He is currently serving as the Secretary of the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in New Delhi, Government of India.
Personal Information Of Rajesh Aggarwal
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Officer Name | Rajesh Aggarwal |
| Profession | IAS Officer |
| Batch | 1989 |
| Cadre | Maharashtra |
| Date of Birth | 12 November 1966 |
| Age | 58 Years |
| Birthplace | Jalandhar, Punjab |
| Home State | Punjab |
| Education | B.Tech in Computer Science from IIT Delhi (1987) |
| Primary Education | DAV College, Jalandhar |
| Age at UPSC Clearance | 22 Years |
| Wife | Name not publicly available |
| Date of Joining IAS | 21 August 1989 |
| Retirement Date | 30 November 2026 |
| First Posting | Assistant Collector, Thane (1989) |
| Current Posting | Secretary, Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, GOI |
| Hobby Websites | www.ilovemaths.com, www.eGovernance.guru |
Educational Background
Rajesh Aggarwal is a technocrat at heart. He holds a B.Tech. in Computer Science from IIT Delhi, graduating in 1987. His fascination with technology, natural language processing, and algorithms began during his time at IIT and continues to influence his work today. Before pursuing his IAS career, he completed his primary education at DAV College in Jalandhar.
UPSC and IAS Career
Rajesh Aggarwal cleared the UPSC Civil Services Exam at the age of 22 and joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1989. His first posting was as an Assistant Collector in Thane, Maharashtra. Over the years, he has taken on multiple roles that focused on development, governance, and technological innovation.
Key Roles Held by Rajesh Aggarwal
Rajesh Aggarwal has held several significant positions throughout his IAS career, contributing to various sectors:
- CEO, Jalgaon (1993-1996): He played a key role in managing the administration of Jalgaon district.
- District Collector, Akola (1996-1998): As District Collector, he contributed to the development of Akola.
- Deputy Commissioner, Maharashtra Sadan, New Delhi (1998-2002): He represented the state government in the capital, overseeing important projects and administrative duties.
- Private Secretary, Rural Development Ministry (2002-2003): Worked on critical rural development projects.
- Director, Election Commission of India (2003-2007): Managed various election processes, ensuring smooth and fair elections.
- Additional CEO, National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) (2007-2009): Contributed to the development of internet infrastructure in India.
- Secretary, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development & Fisheries (2009-2010): Focused on improving agriculture and allied sectors in Maharashtra.
- Secretary, Finance Department (2010-2011): Managed fiscal policies and budgetary allocations for the state of Maharashtra.
- Secretary, Information Technology Department (2011-2015): Pioneered multiple IT initiatives in Maharashtra, making the state a leader in e-governance.
- Joint Secretary, Finance (2015-2016): Managed fiscal operations at the national level.
- Joint Secretary, Tribal Affairs (2016-2018): Worked on the welfare and development of tribal communities in India.
- Director General, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (2018): Focused on improving skill development programs across India.
- Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor, Petroleum & Natural Gas, GOI (2019-2021): Played a key role in fiscal management in the energy sector.
- Secretary, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (2021-2022): Led the national skill development mission to empower youth with better employment opportunities.
- Secretary, Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, GOI (2022-Present): Currently, he works on policies aimed at improving the lives of persons with disabilities, ensuring accessibility in government infrastructure and services.
Achievements and Innovations
Rajesh Aggarwal is widely known for his efforts in e-governance and digital transformation in public administration. Some of his significant contributions include:
- Aadhaar and Jan Dhan Missions: Played a vital role in these flagship programs aimed at providing a digital identity and financial inclusion to millions of Indians.
- Digilocker and Jeevan Praman: Introduced these platforms to facilitate digital documentation and pension verification processes.
- Cyber-Jurisprudence Contributions: As an adjudicating officer under the IT Act, he has written more than 70 judgments that have shaped cyber-jurisprudence in India.
- Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities: Passionate about making government services and infrastructure accessible to persons with disabilities, ensuring government websites and public spaces are inclusive for all.
Awards and Recognition
- Premier 100 CIO (2014) by Computerworld USA
- UID Innovations Award by the Prime Minister of India
- CIO Excellence Award (Editor’s Choice, Dataquest, 2013): Recognized for excellence in e-governance and IT initiatives.
- Numerous e-Governance Awards: Maharashtra’s Department of IT, under his leadership, won several prestigious awards for its innovative initiatives.
Passion for Technology and Accessibility
Rajesh Aggarwal has a deep interest in the use of Indian languages on computers and the internet. He has worked extensively with voter databases in 15 Indian languages and has developed fuzzy matching algorithms to manage data. His dedication to making government services accessible to persons with disabilities is evident in his work on websites, electronic voting machines, and polling booths.
Personal Life
Rajesh Aggarwal prefers to keep his personal life private. While the name of his wife is not publicly available, his family has supported him throughout his career.
Conclusion
Rajesh Aggarwal’s career is a testament to his visionary leadership and dedication to improving governance through technology. His work on e-governance, skill development, and accessibility for persons with disabilities continues to leave a lasting impact on India’s administrative landscape. For more updates on his work and initiatives, you can visit his hobby websites, www.ilovemaths.com and www.eGovernance.guru.
The innovative ways of working, out of box thinking and his passion to use the technology for an efficient administration, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, IAS as the Secretary, DEPwD and additionally the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities is a rare gift to the disability sector for real empowering initiatives. The impact of his quick transforming initiatives is going to be highly sustainable for persons with disabilities of all ages to live an independent and dignified life.
Shri Aggarwal’s sharp intellect, almost instant understanding of very intricate and complex issues and an inclusive style of functioning are matchless in the highly insulated bureaucracy.
There are umpteen reasons for the Governments and the corporate sector in India to use the gifted talent of unassuming officers like Shri Rajesh Agarwal for people centric administration with extensive use of right technologies for good. It’s the key to make Viksit Bharat in true sense of the term.
Only when every public functionary from top to bottom, particularly the duty bearers : officers of All India Services, the state services in key positions and those who are the first point of contact realise that they are the servants of each citizen they are responsible to cater to and because of them they get paid to maintain themselves and their dear family, would we be able to realise the dream of Viksit Bharat.
We need more officers like Shri Aggarwal at the helm to drive the wagons of innumerable components of true Vikas.
God bless Shri Rajesh Aggarwal.
TD Dhariyal