Bhubaneswar: In a historic milestone, senior IAS officer Anu Garg has been appointed as Odisha’s new Chief Secretary, effective January 1, 2026. She will be the first woman to hold this top bureaucratic position, succeeding Manoj Ahuja, who retires on December 31, 2025.
Garg, a 1991-batch IAS officer, has had a stellar career spanning key roles in state and central government. Currently serving as Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary, Planning and Convergence Department, she has made history before – becoming the first woman Development Commissioner in February 2023.
Her illustrious career includes pivotal roles such as Principal Secretary, Water Resources; Women and Child Development; Labour and ESI; and Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Health and Family Welfare. At the Centre, she held influential positions like Joint Secretary to the Prime Minister (2012-2015) and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles (2015-2017).
Garg’s achievements include founding Mission Shakti, Odisha’s flagship programme empowering millions through women’s self-help groups. She’s spearheaded healthcare initiatives, nutrition programmes, and welfare measures for industrial workers. Her contributions earned her the Apex Scale (Level-17) in the IAS on January 15, 2022 [1].
Her robust academic background includes a B.A. from Delhi University, M.A. in Sociology from Lucknow University, and Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Garg’s appointment underscores Odisha’s push towards greater gender representation in top administration, ensuring continuity in the state’s developmental agenda under Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi-led BJP government.
