Biswanath Sinha appointed new Kerala Chief Secretary

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Cabinet has officially appointed senior bureaucrat Biswanath Sinha as the state's next Chief Secretary. A 1991-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Sinha will succeed the incumbent Chief Secretary, Jayathilak, who is scheduled to demit office on June 30.

Sinha, a native of Bihar, currently serves as the Additional Chief Secretary in the Home Department, a position he has held since 2023.

A distinguished administrative career

An alumnus of the prestigious Delhi School of Economics, Sinha entered the civil services in 1991 and has since built a highly distinguished administrative track record across various core sectors in Kerala and at the Centre.

Prior to his current assignment in the Home Department, Sinha served as the Additional Chief Secretary of the Finance Department—a promotion he received while holding the post of Additional Secretary in the Planning and Economic Affairs Department. His expansive portfolio in the state administration also includes serving as the Additional Chief Secretary of the Store Purchase Department and as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rebuild Kerala Initiative.

During the initial years of his career, Sinha gained extensive grassroots administrative experience as the District Collector of Kottayam, Wayanad and Kozhikode.

Versatile portfolios across State and Central sectors

Over his career, Sinha has served as the District Collector of Kottayam, Wayanad and Kozhikode.

He has also held positions as the Director and Managing Director of Textiles, and Managing Director of the State Co-operative Bank.

In addition, his career includes stints as Deputy Director and Secretary in the Public Works and Sports departments, Additional Resident Commissioner at Kerala House in New Delhi, and Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He has also worked as the Principal Secretary in the Departments of Personnel and General Administration, Finance, SC/ST Welfare and Social Justice.