Bengaluru, July 28: HK Patil, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister of Karnataka, announced the appointment of Shalini Rajneesh as the new chief secretary of the state on Friday, July 26. Shalini Rajneesh will succeed her husband, Rajneesh Goel, who will retire on July 31. Speaking about Shalini's appointment, HK Patil said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah finalised the 1989 batch IAS officer's appointment.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, HK Patil said that the state cabinet authorised CM Siddaramaiah to decide on the appointment of the new Chief Secretary. "He has finalised the name of the now Additional Chief Secretary to government Shalini Rajneesh and informed the Cabinet today," he said. While Shalini Rajneesh is all set to take over as the new chief secretary of Karnataka, let's know more about the IAS officer. Karnataka: Renaming of Ramanagara District Aimed at Showcasing Bengaluru’s Investment Potential, Says Priyank Kharge.

Who Is Shalini Rajneesh?

According to news reports, Shalini Rajneesh is an IAS officer from the 1989 batch. She was also the topper of her batch. Shalini has a PhD in Rural Development. The IAS officer is said to have penned several books covering subjects such as Management, Personality Development, and Women Empowerment. Shalini Rajneesh is married to Rajneesh Goel, who is presently serving as the Chief Secretary of Karnataka. He is all set to retire on Wednesday, July 31.

With her appointment as the new chief secretary of Karnataka, Shalini Rajneesh will become the fifth woman to occupy the post. In the past, the post was held by Teresa Bhattacharya (July 2001 to March 2002), Malati Das (Oct 2006 to Dec 2006), K Ratna Prabha (Dec 2017 to Dec 2018) and Vandita Sharma (May 2022 to Nov 2023). Additionally, Shalini and her husband Goel will become the third couple to hold the top post in Karnataka. Who is Sharmila Faruqui? Know All About the Pakistani Politician Spotted With Mukesh Ambani and Isha Ambani in Paris.

BK Bhattacharya and Teresa Bhattacharya were the first couple to hold the post, followed by BK Das and Malati Das. Shalini is also credited with playing a key role in implementing "Sakala" in Karnataka. Sakala, a citizen-friendly initiative that connected several government departments on a single electronic platform, went on to win the Google Innovation Award in 2013.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 28, 2024 12:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).