<span style="color: #222222;">The Centre today appointed senior bureaucrats Rajeev Singh Thakur and Shantanu as Joint Secretaries in the newly-created Department of Military Affairs.  <br />''<br />''Mr Thakur, a 1995 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of Rajasthan Cadre will have a tenure till December 2022 while Mr Shantanu, a 1997 batch Tripura Cadre IAS officer has been appointed to the post till March 2024.<br />''<br />''The government had last month created the Department of Military Affairs, which is headed by Chief of Defence Staff, CDS General Bipin Rawat. A total of 31 IAS officers have been appointed as Joint Secretaries in different Central Government departments.<br />''<br />''Odisha Cadre IAS officer Vishal Gagan will be Joint Secretary of Department of Defence for a tenure of five years. Assam Cadre  officer Ashutosh Agnihotri has been appointed Joint Secretary in Home Ministry. <br />''<br />''Jammu and Kashmir Cadre officer Ashok Kumar Parmar will be Adviser in Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs while 1995 batch Himachal Pradesh Cadre officer Bharat Khera has been appointed Joint Secretary in Cabinet Secretariat. </span>