EC accepts Jharkhand govt's proposal to appoint Alka Tiwari as chief secretary

Ranchi/New Delhi: The Election Commission on Friday accepted the Jharkhand government's proposal to appoint Alka Tiwari as the chief secretary of the poll-bound state. Assembly polls in Jharkhand will be held in two phases -- November 13 and November 20.

Tiwari, who is from the 1988 batch, is currently the senior-most IAS officer in the cadre. Before this, the poll panel had also consented to the proposal of a five-month extension of the tenure of former chief secretary Lalbiaktluanga Khiangte, sources said.

Meanwhile, the state government issued a notification announcing the appointment of Tiwari as the chief secretary. "The proposal for appointment has been approved by the Election Commission of India," a notification from the department of Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Rajbhasha said.

Her husband and 1986-batch retired IAS officer Dr DK Tiwari had earlier held the topmost bureaucratic post in the state. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a post on X said: "Mr Khiangte has retired from the post of Chief Secretary of Jharkhand government. Thank you very much for serving the state of Jharkhand. Wish a happy future."

Background of Alka Tiwari

Alka Tiwari is a postgraduate in psychology from Meerut University and received the Governor’s gold medal for being the top student. She did her MSc from the University of Manchester in the UK, where she excelled in the 'Management & Implementation of Development Projects' course and received the gold medal.

Additionally, she is a law graduate from Ranchi University. She has also completed short-term courses on 'Rethinking Financial Inclusion' from Harvard University, USA, and 'Public Fiscal Management for Financial Advisors' from Duke University, USA.

She has held various positions, including deputy commissioner of Gumla and Lohardaga districts in Jharkhand. She has also served as secretary in the departments of commercial taxes and forest & environment. Moreover, she was an advisor in Niti Aayog, joint secretary, and additional secretary in the department of fertilizers, as well as additional secretary-cum-financial advisor in the departments of fertilizers, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

Stint at Niti Aayog

During her time at Niti Aayog, Tiwari managed important sectors such as financial resources, education, and tourism. She played a key role in developing strategy documents for reforms in India's Higher Education Regulatory Framework and for establishing World Class Institutions of Teaching and Research.

"As CMD of fertilizer company FAGMIL, she reversed its decline of Gypsum trade, and converted it into a profit-making market leader company. Tiwari engaged with Qatar, Iran and Russia to ensure adequate availability of urea and to safeguard the revenue interests of the country," a statement said.

"She signed the protocol agreement on 'Modernization and Industrial Co-operation' under the Indo-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Co-operation. She worked as secretary to Government of India in the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes for more than three years," the statement added.

Her husband Dr D K. Tiwari, who retired as the chief secretary of Jharkhand, currently holds the constitutional post of the State Election Commissioner.

(Inputs from PTI)