New Delhi: On January 31, Uttarakhand made history by appointing its first female Chief Secretary, Radha Raturi, a seasoned Indian Administrative Services officer from the 1988 batch. Formerly holding the position of Additional Chief Secretary, Raturi has now assumed the highest administrative role in the state, succeeding SS Sandhu, who completed his term on the same day. Radha Raturi is slated to serve as the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand until March this year.

This appointment is a groundbreaking development in Uttarakhand’s history, as no woman had previously held the Chief Secretary position since the state’s establishment. Radha Raturi’s promotion underscores the growing emphasis on inclusivity in leadership roles.

A brief overview of Radha Raturi reveals her professional journey. Originally belonging to the Madhya Pradesh cadre, she switched to the Uttarakhand cadre, ranking at the bottom of her ’88 batch. Despite this, she has emerged as the most senior bureaucrat in the Uttarakhand IAS cadre. With a distinguished career spanning 36 years, Raturi has occupied pivotal roles such as Additional Chief Secretary for Women Empowerment, State Chief Electoral Officer, and District Magistrate.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami officially approved Raturi’s promotion on January 30, designating her as the 18th Chief Secretary of the state. Although her tenure is relatively short, ending in less than two months, her elevation represents a significant stride in recognizing and appreciating women’s contributions to administrative leadership.

Notably, the Raturi family boasts a strong commitment to serving the nation. Radha’s husband, Anil Raturi, a 1987-batch Indian Police Services officer, previously held the position of Director General of Police in Uttarakhand until his reported retirement in November 2020. The Raturi household takes pride in their collective dedication to public service.