With Renu Raj in Alappuzha, 10 out of 14 Kerala districts to be steered by women IAS officers

Thiruvananthapuram: For the first time in the history of Kerala, 10 out of its 14 districts in the state would be helmed by women IAS officers. Dr Renu Raj, IAS, is set to take charge as the Alappuzha District Collector on March 2.

Dr Renu Raj succeeds A Alexander, the incumbent Alappuzha District Collector. This is her maiden posting as District Collector.

She was earlier the sub-collector of Devikulam

Alappuzha is as familiar as Kottayam, said Dr Renu Raj, a native of Ithithanam, near Chanagancherry, in Kottayam district. She stood second in the Civil Services Examination in 2015. She gave a shot at the civil service after completing the MBBS in the Kottayam Medical College.

Currently, nine districts in Kerala have lady collectors.

The 10 Women District Collectors

1. Bhandari Swagat Ranveerchand - Kasaragod

2. A Geetha - Wayanad

3. Mrunmai Joshi - Palakkad

4. Haritha V Kumar - Thrissur

5. Dr P K Jayasree – Kottayam

6. Sheeba George - Idukki

7. Dr Divya S Iyer - Pathanamthitta

8. Afsana Parveen -Kollam

9. Dr Navjot Khosa - Thiruvananthapuram.

10. Dr Renu Raj - Alapphuza (to take charge soon)

Divya S Iyer, Renu Raj and Navjot Khosa are MBBS graduates.

A Geetha, a 2014 batch IAS officer, took charge as the Wayanad District Collector last September. She succeeded another woman IAS officer, Adeela Abdulla.

Adeela Abdulla is a trailblazer as she is the first Muslim woman to pass the Civil Services Examination from Malabar region of Kerala.