look news india
Senior IAS officer of Odisha cadre Sujata Karthikeyan has taken voluntary retirement (VRS), which has been approved by the Central Government. Sujata is the wife of IAS officer VK Pandian, close to former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. In his administrative tenure, he did remarkable work in Naxal-affected areas along with major changes in education and sports policy.
Historical contribution to education and sports
Sujata Kartikeyan is a 2000 batch IAS officer and did a post graduation in International Politics from Jawaharlal Nehru University. She has been the topper of Lady Shri Ram College and was a gold medalist at the IAS Academy.
While being the collector of Sundargarh district, he started a cycle scheme to the girl students to promote education in Naxal -affected areas, which led to a huge increase in the attendance of girls in school. He also tried to include eggs in the mid-day meal, which improved the nutritional level of children.
To promote the game, he promoted football and hockey in violence affected areas. His efforts created special hostels for hockey -playing boys and girls, emerging as a major state in the field of Odisha sports.
Administrative journey and social influence
Sujata Karthikeyan served as the first woman collector of Cuttack district. He connected more than 70 lakh women with self -help groups under the Mission Shakti program of the Patnaik government, which improved the economic and social status of women.
He also served as Culture Secretary for five months and contributed to the cultural development of the state.
Political dispute and VRS decision
Before the election, the Election Commission had transferred Sujata Karthikeyan, and the BJP accused him of being close to the BJD. After the MLA’s defeat in the 2024 general elections, her husband VK Pandian also retired from politics. Sujata took six months leave for her daughter’s studies and eventually applied for VRS, which has now been approved.