Ravi Kumar is new Karnataka Chief Secretary

IANS

Bengaluru, 31 Dec 2020: Karnataka will have a new chief secretary from January 1 with additional chief secretary P Ravi Kumar set to get the administrative baton from TM Vijay Bhaskar, who is retiring on Thursday.

 

Kumar, a 1984-batch IAS officer from Karnataka cadre, is holding additional charge of IT, BT and science and technology department. He was earlier additional chief secretary to CM BS Yediyurappa. Kumar, from AP, has studied and worked for a major part of his life in the state. He has done MSc in mathematics, besides PG diploma in econometrics. He will have an 18-month tenure.

 

 

Kumar helped boost state’s energy position

Having handled a long list of portfolios, Kumar shot to prominence during the previous Congress regime when he was principal secretary (energy) with present KPCC president DK Shivakumar as the minister. 

 

Kumar is said to be instrumental in bringing most energy requirements under the renewable sources and boosting Karnataka’s energy position from being a coal-deficit to an energy-surplus state. Kumar was the third senior-most Karnataka-batch officer after Bhaskar and DV Prasad; the latter opted for central deputation and retired in November this year.

 

Bhaskar is one of the longest-serving chief secretaries in recent times with 2.5 years, while average stint ranged between six months and two years. Having taken charge in June 2018, soon after the assembly elections, Bhaskar served as chief secretary under the JD(S)-Congress coalition government and the BJP government notwithstanding a series of political uncertainties and the Covid-19 pandemic.