Priya Ravichandran who was currently serving in Fire & Rescue Department, Tamil Nadu has been inducted into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). She is the first woman in the country to be appointed as the officer in Fire and Rescue Services Department. She has served as the Joint Director (Northern Region) in Fire & Rescue. During her tenure as District Fire Officer (Chennai City Central), a fire broke out in Kalas Mahal while a celebration of Pongal was going on in 2012. She led a team and prevented the further disaster while saving many lives. However, during this heroic act she her got 45% burnt.

For her act of bravery she has been awarded with the President’s Award for Gallantry, the President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service and the Anna Medal for Bravery. Ms. Ravichandran is an alumna of Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She got into Fire & Services Department after clearing the Combined Civil Services Examinations-I conducted by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission in 2003. She has also been a board member of TNPSC (Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission.

Let it be noted that besides the regular candidates, who are recruited into the IAS through the UPSC CSE, officers from the State cadre are also selected to be inducted into the IAS based on their performance during their career, reputation.