In a top level bureaucratic reshuffle, Ajay Prasad, Officer on Special Duty to the deputy prime minister, was on Monday appointed as the defence secretary while Dhirendra Singh, Special Secretary in the defence ministry, was elevated as Divestment Secretary.

A 1969 batch IAS Officer from the Himachal Pradesh cadre, Prasad succeeds Subir Dutta, who has been appointed Member of the Union Public Service Commission, according to the postings approved by the Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet.

Singh will replace S S Meenakshi Sundaram, who has been made a member of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Space Commission.

Information Technology Secretary R R Shah has been shifted to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. K K  Jaswal will take his place.

Additional Secretary in the Economic Affairs Department Adarsh Kishore will take Jaswal's place in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

Additional Secretary in the defence ministry Pratyush Sinha has been promoted as Secretary (Border Management) in the Home Ministry and Delhi Development Authority Vice-Chairman Anil Baijal would continue in his present post in the rank and pay of Secretary from Tuesday till further orders.

S P Arya, at present Adviser, Planning Commission, has been moved to the post of Secretary in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in place of B S Baswan, who will move to the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry.

Meanwhile, Northern Railway General Manager R K Singh has been appointed the new chairman of the Railway Board.

He replaces I I M S Rana, who retired on June 30, according to an official release.