New Delhi, Jul 19 (IANS): Vivek Kumar, a 2004 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), was on Friday appointed as Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The order was issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

The order said the appointment will be "with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post, on co-terminus basis or until further orders, whichever is earlier".

Kumar was earlier a Director in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). He was appointed in the PMO as Deputy Secretary in 2014.

As per Kumar's LinkedIn account, he holds a BTech degree in chemical engineering from IIT Bombay and has served in diplomatic positions in Russia and Australia.

In another move, Bharat Lal, a 1988 batch Gujarat cadre IAS officer, was transferred out of the office of the President of India to the Jal Shakti Ministry as an Under Secretary. Lal was serving as Additional Secretary in the President's Secretariat.