As Indianmandarins had reported on 23 June 2016 (Web-link below) the Centre is reported to have given its consent on S C Khuntia's (IAS:1981:KN) name to be appointed as new Chief Secretary to the Govt of Karnataka. Currently Khuntia serves in Govt of India as Secretary, Dept of School Education & Literacy under Union HRD Ministry. The names of senior IAS officers S K Pattanayak (IAS:1981:KN) and K Ratna Prabha (IAS:1981:KN) are also doing the rounds to head the state bureaucracy. Incumbent Aravind Jadhav is on a three-month extension after retirement from the service. His extension period will end on September 30. Khuntia will have a tenure of one year and four months as chief secretary. Khuntia is second senior most IAS officer in the state civil list. Upendra Tripathy, the senior-most officer, is retiring in October and hence, his appointment to the post of the chief secretary may not be considered, an official source said. Before moving to New Delhi, Khuntia worked in several departments and organisations in the state, including BBMP, public works, and power. He has a Ph.D. in Economics and has done his masters in Sociology, Physics and Computer Science. Web-link: (Read news dated 23 June 2016) K'taka CS post hangs between extension & repatriation http://www.indianmandarins.com/ktaka-cs-post-hangs-between-extension-repatriation-updated-0946-pm/