Mr. R. Balakrishnan, a retired 1984-batch Odisha cadre IAS officer, has been appointed as the Director of the International Institute of Tamil Studies by the Tamil Nadu government. He previously served as the Development Commissioner of Odisha and as Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister.
Also Read: Srinagar Administration Bids Farewell to IAS Probationer Tharun Patnaik
A distinguished Tamil scholar and author, Mr. Balakrishnan is widely recognized for his acclaimed book Journey of a Civilization: Indus to Vaigai. The Tamil Nadu government stated that his appointment would provide fresh impetus to research on Tamil language and culture.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Mr. M.K. Stalin congratulated Mr. Balakrishnan on his new role. During their meeting, Mr. Balakrishnan presented the CM with the first printed edition of the Thirukkural, originally published in 1812.
CM Stalin, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), highlighted Mr. Balakrishnan’s contributions to Tamil research, noting that he had cleared the civil services examination in Tamil and expanded Tamil studies beyond India’s borders.
Before his retirement, Mr. Balakrishnan held various key positions in Odisha, including serving as Development Commissioner and later as Principal Advisor (Special Initiative) with the rank of Chief Secretary during Mr. Naveen Patnaik’s tenure as Chief Minister.
Also Read: Tamil Nadu ADGP Kalpana Nayak Alleges Life Threat Over Recruitment Scam Exposure
