Biography for Shekhar Dutt
First Name: Shekhar
Last Name: Dutt
Title: Defence Secretary
Organization: Ministry of Defence
Country: India
Spouses: Sushmita Dutt (current)
CV: Shri Shekhar Dutt, Secretary, Defence Production in the Ministry of Defence has been appointed as Defence Secretary. He is an IAS officer of the 1969 batch of the Madhya Pradesh cadre. Earlier he served in the Army and for his role in the Western Sector during 1971, he was awarded Sena Medal for gallantry.

Shri Dutt has also served as Joint Secretary in the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence. During this period he was Director in the Board of Defence Public Sector Undertakings such as Bharat Electronics, Bharat Dynamics, Bharat Earth Movers, Mazagaon Docks, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers and Goa Shipyard. Earlier in the mid-80s he served as Director (Navy) in the Ministry of Defence.

In his long and distinguished career in the Indian Administrative service, Shri Dutt held several key posts, which include Director General Sports Authority of India and Principal Secretary in the Department of Tribal and Scheduled Caste Welfare and Principal Secretary, Departments of School Education, Sports & Youth Welfare both in the Government of Madhya Pradesh. Shri Dutt also held the appointment of Secretary, Department of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homeopathy in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

During his tenure in the Sports Authority of India, Shri Dutt played a pivotal role in the successful conduct of the First Afro-Asian Games in November 2003. As the Principal Secretary, Tribal Welfare Shri Dutt was instrumental in drawing up a number of schemes including special projects concerning area development, collection and marketing of minor forest produce and forest village development through joint forest management mechanism.

In his capacity as Principal Secretary in the Departments of School Education, Sports & Youth Welfare, Shri Dutt was credited with the introduction of an innovative programme called Education Guarantee Scheme in which the community panchayats owned and ran the schools. The scheme helped in universalizing elementary education in Madhya Pradesh to a great extent.

Awards: He was awarded the Sena Medal for gallantry during the 1971 war