1989 batch IAS officer Santhi Kumari becomes first woman Chief Secretary of Telangana. She has assumed the charge as the new Chief Secretary at BRKR Bhavan on Thursday afternoon, 12 January. She was serving as special chief secretary of the state forest department.

Speaking to media after assuming office, Ms. Shanti Kumari said she would work in close coordination with the officials and public representatives to ensure that the flagship programmes of the state government as envisioned by the Chief Minister are implemented properly.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao appointed her as the state’s chief secretary in place of Somesh Kumar. The Telangana high court on 10th of January, ordered the repatriation of Kumar to his home cadre Andhra Pradesh.

Santhi, who has tenure until April 2025, became the first woman to hold the office of Telangana chief secretary, the highest bureaucratic position in a state. A post-graduate in Marine Biology, Ms. Shanti Kumari has pursued MBA in the US and also worked in the United Nations programmes for two years. She has been working in the areas of poverty alleviation, education, health, skill development and forest departments in the past three decades of her service.

She has held several important posts, including Special Chief Secretary in forest department, Principal Secretary in CM’s office and also as a senior bureaucrat in health and other departments, the release said.

She is currently holding the post of Special Chief Secretary in the Forest department prior to being appointed as Chief Secretary. She also worked as the District Collector of Adilabad, Commissioner of BC Welfare besides holding several other key positions in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

Kumari met the CM and thanked him for the appointment. Being a senior to the outgoing CS Somesh Kumar, she was expected to be appointed as the Chief Secretary last time. However, the sudden turn of events on the HC’s decision necessitated this appointment.