VK Singh

 

VK Singh is the MoS for Statistics and Programme Implementation (Independent Charge), External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs. Earlier, he was the MoS with independent charge for Development of North Eastern Region, External Affairs. A decorated Army officer, General Vijay Kumar Singh served as the 24th Chief of Army Staff. He was the first commando to be promoted to general and was the first serving Indian military chief to take the Government to court. VK Singh is the MoS with independent charge for Development of North Eastern Region, External Affairs. A decorated Army officer, General Vijay Kumar Singh served as the 24th Chief of Army Staff. Just months before his retirement, he was caught in an ugly row with the government over his date of birth in defence records. As a consequence of an error made when he had enrolled with the National Defence Academy in 1965, official records mis-stated the year in which he was born. In February 2012, he moved the Supreme Court which refused to intervene, following which he had to withdraw the writ. The court ruled that Singh had on three occasions accepted the mis-recorded date. After briefly supporting Anna Hazare in his anti-corruption crusade, Singh joined the BJP in March 2014. He contested the Lok Sabha polls from Ghaziabad constituency in Uttar Pradesh where he defeated actor-politician Raj Babbar by a record 5.67 lakh votes, the second highest margin of victory after PM Narendra Modi's.