Bhopal: The current Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, Ikbal Singh Bais, is nearing the end of his tenure. Orders for the new Chief Secretary could be issued today or tomorrow, with speculation suggesting that IAS officer Veera Rana might be entrusted with the responsibility. If appointed, she would become Madhya Pradesh’s second female Chief Secretary. Ikbal Singh Bais has already received two extensions of six months each. Still, discussions about another extension were underway until it is now reported that Veera Rana, from the 1988 IAS batch, might have the opportunity to become the Chief Secretary.
Veera Rana, born on March 26, 1964, in Uttar Pradesh, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and an MBA. She is regarded as one of Madhya Pradesh’s disciplined and respected administrative officers. Throughout her career, she has held crucial responsibilities in various departments, including Chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Secondary Education Board, Chief Electoral Officer of Madhya Pradesh, Additional Chief Secretary of the Sports and Youth Welfare Department, Director-General of the Administrative Academy, and key roles in the Cottage and Village Industries Department and the General Administration Department.
Veera Rana served as the Collector of Vidisha from June 1, 2000, to September 16, 2002, and later as the Collector of Jabalpur from September 17, 2002, to July 15, 2003. She was also the Collector of Mahasamund district in undivided Madhya Pradesh from July 1, 1998, to October 1, 1999. Mahasamund is currently a district in the state of Chhattisgarh. Veera Rana is set to retire in March 2024.
Madhya Pradesh’s first female Chief Secretary was Nirmala Buch, who served from September 22, 1991, to January 1, 1993. If Veera Rana is appointed as Chief Secretary, she will become Madhya Pradesh’s second female Secretary. On July 11, 2018, Veera Rana, a senior woman officer of the Indian Administrative Service, was appointed as the Chief of Madhya Pradesh by the then Governor Anandiben Patel. However, she abruptly stopped attending her duties on August 2, 2018, citing personal reasons amid reported differences with Governor Anandiben Patel. ManguBhai Patel is the current Governor of Madhya Pradesh, and Anandiben Patel is the Governor of Uttar Pradesh.