Washington: Anoop Singh, who once served as special advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when he was the governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has been named a director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Currently director of the IMF's Western Hemisphere Department, Singh will take over as director of Asia Pacific Department as part of the 185-member lending organisation's "refocusing effort", managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn announced Thursday.

"There are a number of appointments that are in train at the director-level as part of the Fund's ongoing refocusing effort. It is my intention to fill these senior positions as quickly as possible," he said.

"Given the skills needed by the Fund and its membership, some of positions can be filled internally. Today, I am announcing my initial actions in this regard."

Besides working with Manmohan Singh, Anoop Singh has also served as special advisor to another RBI governor, I.G. Patel. He has also worked as senior economic advisor to the vice president, Asia region, the World Bank; and sometime lecturer in economics in Bombay University.

During his career at the Fund, his appointments have included: director of special operations in the office of the managing director, deputy director of the Asia and Pacific Department, senior advisor of the Policy Development and Review Department, assistant director of the European Department, and IMF resident representative in Sri Lanka.