Kerala CM V.D. Satheesan Appoints IAS Rathan U. Kelkar as Secretary, Sreekumar T as Special Private Secretary
In a major administrative development following the formation of the new government in Kerala, Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan has appointed senior IAS officer Rathan U. Kelkar as Secretary to the Chief Minister.
The appointment is being viewed as one of the most significant bureaucratic decisions taken by the newly formed Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala, as Rathan U. Kelkar is regarded as one of the state’s most experienced and versatile administrators.
A 2003-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, Kelkar was serving as the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Kerala before being inducted into the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). Known for his administrative expertise in governance, health, taxation, information technology and election management, his appointment is expected to strengthen policy coordination and administrative functioning within the CMO.
Along with Kelkar, retired senior bureaucrat Sreekumar T has been appointed as Special Private Secretary to the Chief Minister.
The Kerala government has also announced appointments to several other key positions within the Chief Minister’s Office to strengthen administrative coordination, public communication and media outreach.
As part of the new CMO team, Siji G. S. has been appointed Press Secretary, while veteran journalist Roy Mathews has been named Media Secretary to the Chief Minister.
In addition, Thilakan K. P. K. and Mohanachandran M. S. have been appointed as Additional Private Secretaries.
The government has further appointed Padmakumar M., Abimon P. A., Manojkumar P. N., Jafarkhan S., Jayachandran A. and Prakash O. T. as Assistant Secretaries in the Chief Minister’s Office.
Who Is Rathan U. Kelkar?
Rathan U. Kelkar was born on February 5, 1976, and is a direct recruit IAS officer from the 2003 Kerala cadre. He holds an M.B.B.S. degree and originally belongs to Karnataka. He is proficient in English, Hindi, Marathi and Malayalam.
Over a bureaucratic career spanning more than two decades, Kelkar has held several crucial assignments in the Kerala government and is widely known for his work in health administration, technology governance and public policy implementation.
His previous assignments include:
Chief Electoral Officer, Kerala
Secretary, Electronics and Information Technology Department
Commissioner of GST
Mission Director, National Health Mission
Health Secretary
District Collector in multiple districts
Kelkar is also credited with promoting Kerala’s startup ecosystem and digital governance initiatives during his tenure in the Information Technology Department.
In recognition of his administrative performance, he received the “Best District Collector Award” in 2013 for his work in Kannur district.
Sreekumar T Returns to Governance Role
Retired Additional Secretary Sreekumar T is known for his extensive experience in the Kerala Secretariat system and Revenue Department administration.
Over the years, he served in several senior administrative positions and was also associated with the Kerala Secretariat Association as a prominent office-bearer. Officials believe his appointment as Special Private Secretary will help strengthen coordination between the Chief Minister’s Office and various state government departments.
Media and Communication Team Strengthened
Veteran journalist Roy Mathews, who has been appointed Media Secretary, brings more than three decades of journalistic experience. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Bureau and Deputy Editor at The Hindu in Thiruvananthapuram.
Meanwhile, Siji G. S. will oversee official communication, media coordination and public outreach activities for the Kerala government.
The appointments reflect the Kerala government’s effort to build an experienced administrative and communication team within the Chief Minister’s Office to ensure smoother governance, faster policy execution and better coordination across departments.
