Dr. Rathan U. Kelkar has been appointed as Secretary to Kerala Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan.
A 2003-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, Kelkar was serving as the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Kerala prior to the appointment.
He had assumed charge as Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer on December 4, 2024, and oversaw the recently concluded Assembly elections in the state.
The appointment comes following the formation of the new government in Kerala under Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan.
Kelkar is an MBBS graduate and has served in multiple administrative roles during his career in the Indian Administrative Service.
Before serving as Chief Electoral Officer, he held several positions in the Kerala administration and was involved in different governance and administrative assignments across departments.
As Chief Electoral Officer, he was responsible for overseeing election-related administrative processes and coordination in the state. His tenure included supervision of election management activities and implementation of directives issued by the Election Commission.
With the new appointment in the Chief Minister’s Office, Kelkar will now be part of the administrative setup assisting the Chief Minister in governance and official functions.
The appointment is part of the administrative changes carried out following the formation of the new government in Kerala.
Kelkar belongs to the Kerala cadre of the Indian Administrative Service and has served in various capacities during his administrative career.
The Chief Minister’s Office plays a key role in governance coordination, policy communication, administrative monitoring, and inter-departmental functioning within the state government.