THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, June 24: The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday appointed senior IAS officer Biswanath Sinha as the State’s next Chief Secretary. He will take over from incumbent Chief Secretary Dr A. Jayathilak, who is scheduled to retire on June 30.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting held in Thiruvananthapuram. A 1992-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, Sinha is currently serving as Additional Chief Secretary in the Home Department.

The senior-most IAS officer in the State service, Sinha has extensive administrative experience spanning more than three decades. Apart from the Home Department, he also oversees key portfolios such as Water Resources and Coastal Shipping.

Originally from Bihar, Sinha holds a Master’s degree from the University of Delhi. During his long career in the Kerala administration, he has served in several important positions and has been associated with policy formulation and implementation across various sectors.

As Chief Secretary, Sinha will become the top bureaucrat in the State and will be responsible for coordinating the functioning of government departments, advising the Chief Minister and Cabinet on administrative matters, and ensuring the effective implementation of government policies and programmes.

His appointment comes at a crucial time as Kerala continues to focus on governance reforms, infrastructure development, public service delivery and disaster management preparedness.

Sinha will formally assume office following the retirement of Dr Jayathilak at the end of this month, marking a key transition in the State’s administrative leadership.