For the first time, a retired official has been appointed as head of a state-owned Maharatna entity, with former Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) chief Arun Kumar Singh being selected as chairman of ONGC.

Singh qualified for the position once the Petroleum Ministry loosened the age-related requirements.

An official order read, "The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved the request of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for the appointment of Arun Kumar Singh, ex-CMD, BPCL as chairman, ONGC for a three-year tenure with effect from the date he assumes charge of the post.

From October 2018 until September 2021, Singh, a mechanical engineer from the National Institute of Technology in Patna, served as director (Marketing) at BPCL. Later, the corporation promoted him to Chairman and Managing Director.

He stepped down as chairman of BPCL in October of this year.