National
Woman IAS officer is Karnataka’s new Chief Secretary
Bengaluru, Nov 30 (IANS) Senior woman Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer K. Ratna Prabha on Thursday took over as Karnataka’s new Chief Secretary, replacing Subash Chandra Khuntia who retired on superannuation earlier in the day.
A 1981-batch officer of the Karnataka cadre, Prabha is the third woman officer to hold the top administrative post in the state after Theresa Bhattacharya (2001) and Malati Das (2006).
Prabha, 59, is also the first Dalit woman to become Chief Secretary in the southern state.
“I am grateful to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for giving me this honour. My first priority will be solving the problems of people. Attending to their grievances has always been close to my heart,” Prabha said as she assumed office in the southern state capital.
Unless given an extension, Prabha will be in the new post for four months as she is due for retirement by February.
According to official sources, Prabha, who was the additional chief secretary in the state since 2016, was considered for the top post by the Chief Minister over two other contenders — Latha Krishna Rau and S.K. Pattanayak, who are also in the rank of Additional Chief Secretary.
Though she hails originally from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh state, Prabha belongs to a family of IAS officers, as her father K.Chandraiah was an IAS officer, her second brother Pradeep Chandra retired as the Telangana Chief Secretary recently.
Prabha also had a stint in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh government over a decade ago on inter-state deputation.
Prabha is also the second woman top officer in the state after Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Neelamani N.Raju took over as the state Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP) in October.
“Congratulations to Ratna Prabha. Karnataka’s administration (civil and police) is now headed by two women,” Siddaramaiah had tweeted on Prabha’s appointment.
–IANS
bha/ahm/bg
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.