Bengaluru (26.07.2024): As Indianmandarins reported on July 16, 2024, Dr Shalini Rajneesh (IAS: 1989: KN), Additional Chief Secretary to Government-cum-Development Commissioner, Government of Karnataka, has been appointed as Chief Secretary (CS) replacing her husband Dr Rajneesh Goel (IAS: 1986: KN).

Shalini will be the third bureaucrat in Karnataka’s history to succeed her husband as CS. Malati Das (Retd IAS: 1970: KN), who served as CS from October 2 to December 30, 2006, succeeded her husband BK Das, who held the position from March 1 to September 30, 2006. BK Bhattacharya and Teresa Bhattacharya (Retd IAS: 1965: KN) were the first couple to serve as CS of Karnataka. Bhattacharya held the position in 2000, and Teresa served from July 2, 2001 to March 30, 2002.

There were nearly similar interesting coincidences outside Karnataka as well when Sujata Saunik (IAS: 1987: MH) took over as Maharashtra CS recently replacing her junior Dr Nitin Kareer (IAS: 1988: MH) but her husband Manoj Saunik (IAS: 1987: MH) held CS post before Dr Kareer. In another interesting case Punjab where Vini Mahajan (IAS: 1987: PB) was CS and her husband Dinkar Gupta (IAS: 1987: PB) was DGP of the state.

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