Who Is Anu Garg? Senior IAS Officer Named Odisha’s First Woman Chief Secretary

Senior IAS officer Anu Garg has been named as the next chief secretary of Odisha, making her the first woman to be appointed to the post.

Garg, a 1991-batch officer, will succeed Manoj Ahuja, who will retire on December 31, as per the government notification.

“Anu Garg, IAS (RR-1991), DC-cum-ACS and Secretary to Government, Planning and Convergence Department with additional charge of Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Water Resources Department is appointed as Chief Secretary, Odisha and Secretary to Government, General Administration and Public Grievance Department vice Shri Manoj Ahuja, IAS retiring on 31.12.2025,” a notification issued by the General Administration and Public Grievance Department stated on Wednesday.

Who Is Anu Garg?

The 1991-batch IAS

officer brings extensive administrative experience with her. She is currently serving as the Development Commissioner. She had also scripted history in February 2023 by becoming the first woman to be appointed as the development commissioner, the second-highest-ranked bureaucrat in the state administration.

She also holds the charge of secretary of the Planning and Convergence Department, along with the charge of additional chief secretary of the Water Resources Department in the state government.

Born on March 1, 1969, Garg holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Lady Shri Ram College of Delhi University, a master’s degree in Sociology from Lucknow University, and a masters in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, United States of America, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Before her present posting, she served as Principal Secretary in the Departments of Labour and ESI, and Women & Child Development, Government of Odisha.

Between 1992 and 2003, Garg had served in various districts of Odisha in various capacities, including Collector and District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, and Sub-divisional Magistrate.

At the central level, Garg has served as Joint Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office, as well as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Textiles and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

She played a crucial role in taking several flagship schemes to the grassroots level, including Subhadra Yojana, the new input subsidy scheme, and health insurance card initiatives. Her role in implementing policy decisions into on-ground execution has been considered a major strength.

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