Rajendra Singh first non-navy officer to head Coast Guard

Rajendra Singh first non-navy officer
 to head Coast Guard

New Delhi : Rajendra Singh, an officer from the Coast Guard cadre, on Wednesday, 24^th February 2016, has been named to head the force, the first time an officer who is not from the Indian Navy has been elevated to the position.

The director general's post has so far only been held by officers who were commissioned in the Indian Navy.

Before this, two officers, Rameshwar Singh and Prabhakaran Paleri, who were from the Coast Guard stream, were elevated to the top post. However, they were Indian Navy officers on permanent secondment to the Coast Guard.

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved Rajendra Singh's appointment, an order from the Department of Personnel and Training said.

He will replace Vice Admiral H. C. S. Bisht.

Rajinder Singh is currently additional director general of the Coast Guard. A 1980 batch officer, he was the first from the Coast Guard cadre to be elevated to three-star officer when the defence ministry approved his apppointment to his currnt post in in 2013.