Dr Varnali Deka, a 2009-batch IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, has been empanelled to serve as joint secretary or equivalent to the Government of India. She is the first woman IAS officer from Assam to be empaneled as Joint Secretary.
Deka had missed the empanelment in the first main announcement of her batch but later was reviewed and empanelled in subsequent order along with a batch junior into her.
Deka is currently on central deputation, serving as Director in the Union ministry of tribal affairs. She looks after Rs 79,156 crore Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, a flagship programme covering 25 interventions across 17 ministries and more than five crore tribal beneficiaries in 63,843 village.
Deka held key positions in Assam
Deka holds BTech in Computer Science, MBA, LLB and a PhD in Commerce. Before joining civil services she had worked with Tata Consultancy Services and ANZ Bank.
Before coming on central deputation, Deka had served at key positions in Assam including Commissioner and Secretary, General Administration Department, Assam,deputy commissioner in five Assam districts — Barpeta, Golaghat, Goalpara, Kokrajhar and Nalbari. She has also served as Secretary in health, urban development, Bodoland Territorial Council, skill and entrepreneurship development, besides heading the Assam and Bodoland Administrative Staff Colleges.
Alok Mathur is a law graduate. Journalism is his first love which he now pursues in the latter half of his career. Controversies and crime are the right triggers for him.
