Argus News - Odisha Gets First Female Chief Secretary as IAS Anu Garg Succeeds Manoj Ahuja

Bhubaneswar, Dec 24: Senior IAS officer Anu Garg has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Odisha on Wednesday, replacing Manoj Ahuja.

With her appointment, Garg becomes the first woman Chief Secretary in Odisha and the 47th to hold the post.

Garg, a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, was serving as Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary, Water Resources Department, before her elevation. She currently also holds charge as Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary in the Planning and Convergence Department.

Born on March 1, 1969, Garg holds a bachelor’s degree from Delhi University, a master’s degree from Lucknow University, and a postgraduate qualification from Johns Hopkins University. She is proficient in English, Hindi and Odia.

Speculations ran high as Ahuja's tenure was coming to an end on December 31, 2025. After Ahuja, the next names in the seniority list were 1990-batch IAS officers Sanjeev Chopra and G Srinivas. However, both are currently on Central deputation, making their appointment less likely.

Outgoing Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja is a 1990-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, an MBA from Panjab University, Chandigarh, and a master’s degree in public administration (international development) from Harvard University, USA.

Ahuja had assumed charge as Chief Secretary of Odisha on July 1, 2024, at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, succeeding Pradeep Kumar Jena. He was the 46th Chief Secretary of the state and also held charge of the General Administration and Public Grievances Department. His tenure, which was set to end on December 31, had earlier been extended by one year.

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Before his appointment as Odisha Chief Secretary, Ahuja served as Secretary in the Union Ministry of Agriculture. During his career, he has held several key positions in the state government, including Joint Director (Personnel Training/Personnel and General Administration), Commissioner-cum-Secretary in the Steel and Mines Department, and Commissioner-cum-Secretary in the Sports and Youth Services Department. He also served as Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.