Pillai takes over as Home Secy; to fight militancy, Naxalism

New Delhi, June 30 (PTI) Former Commerce Secretary of
India Gopal Krishna Pillai Tuesday took over as the new Union
Home Secretary, identifying threats from "external elements"
and Naxalism as his priority areas.

"Threats from external elements, insurgency in the
Northeast, Naxalism and militancy in Jammu and Kashmir are
among my priority areas," he told reporters soon after taking
over from Madhukar Gupta on his superannuation.

59-year-old Pillai said his other challenges were
providing security to all citizens and carrying out police
reforms.

A 1972-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
officer of Kerala cadre, he was Officer on Special Duty (OSD)
in the Home Ministry before he took over his new assignment.

Pillai, who had a stint in the Home Ministry earlier
as a joint secretary, will have a tenure of two years.

His name was cleared by the Appointments Committee
of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by India's Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh.

Gupta, whose tenure ended on March 31 this year, was
granted a three-month extension till Tuesday in view of the
Lok Sabha polls (Lower House of Indian Parliament). PTI ABS
RAI