Correct Answer : Arun Kumar Singh
Arun Kumar Singh, former chairman of oil refining and marketing company BPCL, was on Wednesday(7th Dec 2022) appointed chairman and managing director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) -- the first instance of a retired person being appointed the head of a Maharatna PSU.
* "The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for appointment of Arun Kumar Singh, ex-CMD, BPCL as Chairman, ONGC for a three-year tenure with effect from the date of his assumption of charge of the post," an official order said.
* Singh's appointment on November 17. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is India's top oil and gas producer.
* A mechanical engineer from National Institute of Technology, Patna, Singh was Director (Marketing) of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) from October 2018 to September 2021, after which he was elevated as chairman and managing director of the company.
* Singh retired as BPCL head 13 months later in October 2022.
* A search-cum-selection committee, constituted by the oil ministry, zeroed in on Singh after interviewing six candidates on August 27.
* Singh was already selected to head the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) before the August 27 interviews.
* In his nearly 38 years of experience in oil and gas industry, he has headed business units and entities in BPCL such as retail, LPG, pipelines and supply chain optimization.
* He also held the position of President (Africa & Australasia) in Bharat PetroResources Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BPCL, engaged in exploration of oil and gas, largely overseas, according to information available on BPCL website..
Source : Economic Times
