Speculations are rife over the successor to Defence Production Secretary Ashok Kumar Gupta (IAS:1981:TN) who is scheduled to retire tomorrow. These speculations have placed Binoy Kumar (IAS:1983:TG) among the foremost contenders in view of his age, seniority, and tenure - as also his closeness to the center of power.
Kumar also has strong credentials; his batchmates think highly of his competence and personal integrity. He is also said to be close to Ex-Finance Secretary R P Wattal who's now part of the Economic Advisory Council to the PM (EAC-PM).
Binoy Kumar is junior to Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra (IAS:1982:WB) and his service may take him through May 2020. During his career, he has spent a good time in the Defence Ministry, too. This point may also favor his appointment.
However, in a December 2016 review, Binoy Kumar was empanelled only as Secretary Equivalent and not as Secretary or secretary equivalent. According to a decades' old convention, important assignments like defense production are given only to officers empanelled as a secretary or secretary equivalent. Usually, those empanelled as 'Secretary equivalent' are given less important posts with the only exception of Ms. Snehlata Srivastava (Retd IAS:1982:MP) who was posted as Secretary, Dept of Justice, despite having been empanelled as 'Secretary equivalent'.
It remains to be seen whether Binoy Kumar's case will be similar to Ms. Srivastava.