Bhubaneswar: In a historic pivot for the Odisha Bureaucracy, Shrimati Anu Garg, a distinguished 1991-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has formally assumed the mantle of the 47th Chief Secretary of Odisha. Taking charge on 31 December 2025, Shrimati Garg succeeds Shri Manoj Ahuja following his retirement on today afternoon. This transition marks a seminal milestone in the state’s 78-year administrative history, as Shrimati Garg becomes the first woman to occupy the apex executive position within the state’s civil services.
The elevation of Shrimati Garg is not merely a symbolic victory for gender representation but a strategic consolidation of over three decades of rigorous administrative experience. Her career trajectory exhibits a profound mastery of both grassroots delivery and macro-level policy formulation. Having commenced her service in the Odisha cadre, she navigated the complexities of District Administration as the Collector of Sambalpur and Bargarh, and earlier as Sub-Collector in Jharsuguda. This field-level exposure provided the foundation for her subsequent leadership in critical state departments, including Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development, and Labour and ESI.
Shrimati Garg’s tenure as Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary, along with her additional charge of the Water Resources Department, serves as a testament to her capacity for managing multi-sectoral planning and convergence. Under her stewardship, the Water Resources Department garnered national recognition, securing the second-best state award for water management. Her role in conceptualizing Mission Shakti and later Subhadra Yojana—Odisha’s flagship initiative for women’s self-help groups—further illustrates a commitment to systemic socio-economic empowerment.
The appointment gains added gravity through Shrimati Garg’s significant experience at the federal level. Her tenure as Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (2012–2015) and her roles in the Union Ministries of Textiles and Health and Family Welfare have equipped her with a unique perspective on Centre-State coordination. This dual-layered expertise is critical for navigating the evolving socio-legal landscapes of federal governance and ensures that Odisha’s development agenda is aligned with national policy frameworks.
Educationally, her profile reflects a commitment to evidence-based narrative and public welfare. An alumna of Lady Shri Ram College, she holds a Master’s degree in Sociology and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. This specialized background in public health and social sciences provides her with the intellectual tools to address the complex causality of development challenges in a state frequently impacted by climate variability and public health imperatives.
As the administrative head of the state, Shrimati Garg’s leadership is expected to be characterized by moral urgency and operational efficiency. Her immediate priorities likely involve: Leveraging her previous experience in Planning and Convergence to break departmental silos, overseeing the completion of major projects in time and balancing the transition between political administrations with a focus on stable governance and the effective implementation of budgetary initiatives.
The 47th Chief Secretary enters office with a mandate for stability and a reputation for a hands-on, field-oriented approach—exemplified by her historic stay in the once Maoist-affected Swabhiman Anchal to assess grassroots realities. Her tenure, extending until March 2029, promises a sustained period of administrative evolution for Odisha.