Bureaucratic shift: CEO Dr Rathan U. Kelkar moves to Chief Minister's office

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a significant bureaucratic reshuffle, Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Dr. Rathan U. Kelkar, has been appointed as the Secretary to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan.

A 2003-batch Kerala cadre IAS officer, Dr. Kelkar has served as the state's CEO since December 4, 2024, successfully overseeing the recently concluded Assembly elections.

A medical graduate hailing from Karnataka, Dr. Kelkar brings a wealth of administrative experience to the Chief Minister's office. His distinguished career includes tenures as the Health Department Secretary, State Mission Director of the National Health Mission, and Chairman of Infopark, alongside serving as District Collector in multiple districts. Notably, during his tenure as the Kannur District Collector, he was honoured with the State Government’s Best Collector Award in 2013.