Historic Handover: Kerala's Chief Secretary Post Passed from Husband to Wife

In India, it is common to hear of both husband and wife working in high administrative posts, but this time something different has happened in the state of Kerala. Outgoing Chief Secretary of Kerala Dr. V. Venu handed over his post to his wife Sharada Muralidharan on 31 August, which is being seen as a unique initiative.

In fact, V. Venu was the Chief Secretary in the Pinarayi Vijayan government of Kerala. But now his wife Sharda Muralidharan has taken his place. Venu retired on 31 August, and on Monday his wife Sharda took over the post of Chief Secretary. Earlier, Sharda Muralidharan was working as Additional Chief Secretary in the state.

When the farewell ceremony of former Chief Secretary V Venu was held, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed this moment as a rare event. He had said that this is the first time in the history of Kerala that the post of Chief Secretary has been handed over by a husband to his wife.

Senior bureaucrats V. Venu and his wife Sharda Muralidharan are 1990 batch IAS officers. V. Venu's first posting was as the District Collector of Thrissur district, and then later he was given the responsibility of Chief Secretary of Kerala. Talking about Sharda Muralidharan, led the state government's ambitious poverty alleviation program Kudumbashree Mission from 2006 to 2012. Now she will take over the post of Chief Secretary in Kerala.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor shared the couple's video and wrote on 'X', "For the first time in India (at least as far as anyone can remember!), Kerala’s outgoing ChiefSecretary, Dr V, Venu, handed over the CS’s post to his wife, Sarada Murlidharan, at a formal handover ceremony at the secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. Both are IAS officers of the 1990 batch but Venu is several months older than his wife, who is next in seniority in the service."

For the first time in India (at least as far as anyone can remember!), Kerala’s outgoing ChiefSecretary, Dr V, Venu, handed over the CS’s post to his wife, Sarada Murlidharan, at a formal handover ceremony at the secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. Both are IAS officers of the… pic.twitter.com/E0nZmDDIWi

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 1, 2024