Thiruvananthapuram: In a historic transition, Kerala’s outgoing Chief Secretary, Dr. V. Venu, will hand over his duties to his wife, Sarada Muraleedharan, on August 31. This marks the first time in the state’s history that a couple has consecutively held this top bureaucratic position.

The transition was confirmed on Wednesday during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, where Muraleedharan’s appointment was approved.

While Kerala has seen couples in the past who both held the Chief Secretary post, this is the first instance where one spouse directly succeeds the other.

Dr. Venu, a qualified medical doctor, and Muraleedharan both joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1990. Dr. Manoj Joshi, who was the seniormost bureaucrat in June 2023, was initially expected to take over the position. However, as he opted to continue his central deputation in Delhi, Venu was appointed as the Chief Secretary in June last year. Muraleedharan, currently the seniormost bureaucrat in Kerala, will now step into this role.

Muraleedharan expressed her happiness about the opportunity, noting that she feels fortunate to have observed her husband in the role, which has given her insight into the challenges ahead. "This is a rare opportunity. I have seen firsthand the responsibilities and challenges that come with this position. We have had many discussions about it," she said.

She highlighted the Wayanad rehabilitation program as one of the key challenges she will focus on in her new role. "Kerala has always performed well when faced with big challenges, and my role will be to facilitate the necessary actions," she added.

Muraleedharan has held several important positions in her career, including leading the Kudumbashree Mission, a renowned women’s empowerment initiative of the Kerala government that has received international recognition. Currently, she serves as the Additional Chief Secretary in the Local Self Government Department. Her tenure as Chief Secretary will extend until April 2025.

This unique succession marks the first time in Kerala’s history that a wife has immediately succeeded her husband in the Chief Secretary position. While there have been instances where both husband and wife have held the post, such as V. Ramachandran and Padma Ramachandran, and Babu Jacob and Lissy Jacob, it has never occurred in direct succession before.

Sarada Muraleedharan is the daughter of Dr. K.A. Muraleedharan and K.A. Gomati, who were engineering college teachers. She attended Holy Angels Convent School and Thiruvananthapuram Women's College. A brilliant student, she secured the first rank in the SSLC exam and later in her MA from Kerala University in 1988. She wrote IAS exams while pursuing her Ph.D. at Pondicherry University.