Who is P Senthilkumar IAS? Veteran 1995-batch officer appointed secretary to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay

Senthilkumar IAS: The Tamil Nadu Government on Sunday has appointed P Senthilkumar as Additional Chief Secretary/Secretary-I to the newly elected Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, a top bureaucratic post that works closely with the CM's office.

Who is P. Senthilkumar IAS?

Dr P. Senthilkumar is a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre. He has held several important roles in the state government over the years and is considered an experienced bureaucrat. He has worked in departments related to health, rural development, environment, personnel and administration.

Before this latest appointment, Senthilkumar was serving as Additional Chief Secretary in Tamil Nadu’s Health and Family Welfare Department. He had also been promoted to the Chief Secretary grade, making him one of the senior-most IAS officers in the state.

Why is this appointment important?

The Secretary to the Chief Minister plays a major role in coordinating government departments, implementing decisions and helping the CM manage administration.

Earlier today, TVK chief Vijay was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and took office at the secretariat located in the historic Fort George in Chennai. After being sworn in, Vijay emphasised that his government would mark the "new beginning" and era of "real, secular and social justice."

Addressing a gathering at the Jawaharlal Nehru indoor Stadium here, Vijay stressed that he would "repay the debt" of people after leaving behind his cinema career, adding that he doesn't come from a "royal family" but portrays himself as a common family member of the Tamil Nadu public.

"Now, leaving all of that behind and entering politics to repay my debt of gratitude to you, you embraced me with so much love and affection, saying, 'We are here for you, Vijay. We will take care of everything.' At this moment, I must say this: throughout this journey and this process, I faced countless hardships and humiliations. But despite all that, you too endured difficulties and insults for my sake. You never cared about any of it; you treated my pain as your own and stood beside me throughout. Today, when I say, 'I, Joseph Vijay...,' you have made it a reality. I truly do not know what to say," he added.