Kerala's outgoing Chief Secretary, Dr. V. Venu, will transfer his role to his wife, Sarada Muraleedharan, on August 31. This unique transition was confirmed on Wednesday during the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, which approved Muraleedharan’s appointment.
While couples have previously held the top bureaucratic position in Kerala, this marks the first instance where one spouse succeeds the other. Both Venu, a medical doctor by training, and Muraleedharan are from the 1990 IAS batch.
The position of Chief Secretary nearly eluded them when Dr. Manoj Joshi, the seniormost bureaucrat in June 2023, returned to Kerala from central deputation. However, as Joshi chose to remain in Delhi, Venu, the next in line, was appointed Chief Secretary in June last year, according to a report on IANS.
Currently, Muraleedharan is the senior most bureaucrat in the state, making her the natural choice for the role.
Who Is Sarada Muraleedharan?
From 2006 to 2012, Sarada Muraleedharan led the Kudumbashree Mission, Kerala's flagship poverty alleviation program, during which time she spearheaded several initiatives focused on women’s empowerment.
In 2013, Sarada took up a central deputation and served as the Chief Operating Officer of the National Rural Livelihood Mission under the Ministry of Rural Development until the same year. Following this, she worked for two years as a Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, where she played a key role in designing Gram Panchayat Development Plans, emphasizing the importance of citizen participation through the Gram Sabha, according to a report on Indian Express.
Expressing her satisfaction, she mentioned that she feels fortunate to have closely observed the Chief Secretary’s duties through her husband's tenure. This rare opportunity, she noted, has prepared her for the challenges ahead, particularly the Wayanad rehabilitation program, where her focus will be on facilitating the state's effective crisis management.