HYDERABAD: As Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari approaches her retirement in April 2025, discussions have intensified regarding her potential successor and future roles within the Telangana administration. Santhi Kumari, a 1989 batch IAS officer, made history as the first woman to hold the Chief Secretary position in the state when she assumed office in January 2023.
Reports suggest that Santhi Kumari is interested in becoming the state’s first woman Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), a position vacant since September 2022. She has reportedly approached Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy regarding this role.
In the meantime, speculation is rife about who will succeed her as Chief Secretary. Prominent names being considered include Special Chief Secretary for Finance K. Ramakrishna Rao and Special Chief Secretary for IT & Industries Jayesh Ranjan. Ramakrishna Rao, a 1991 batch IAS officer, is set to retire in August 2025, while Jayesh Ranjan, from the 1992 batch, has a tenure extending until September 2027.
Additionally, there is talk of appointing a Backward Classes (BC) officer as the chairman of the Telangana Public Service Commission (TGPSC). The government is reportedly seeking a BC officer around 55 years old to ensure a tenure of five to six years, aligning with the retirement age of 62 for the position.
As the state prepares for these significant administrative changes, the decisions made in the coming months are expected to have a lasting impact on Telangana’s governance and bureaucratic landscape.
