A. Jayathilak Appointed as Kerala’s 50th Chief Secretary

Thiruvananthapuram: A. Jayathilak has been selected as the 50th Chief Secretary of Kerala. The decision was made at today’s cabinet meeting, as the current Chief Secretary, Sharada Muraleedharan, is set to retire on the 30th of this month.

Currently serving as the Additional Chief Secretary of the Finance Department, Jayathilak will be able to continue in this position until June 2026. Two names were considered for the Chief Secretary post. Manoj Joshi, a senior IAS officer from the Kerala cadre currently on central deputation in Delhi, was initially proposed for the position. However, following his lack of interest, Jayathilak was chosen.

A. Jayathilak is a 1991 batch officer. He holds an MBBS degree from Thiruvananthapuram Medical College and a PG Certificate course from IIM. He began his civil service career as the Sub-Collector of Mananthavady. Jayathilak has also served as the District Collector of Kollam and Kozhikode, and as the Managing Director of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation. During his central deputation, he held responsibilities in the Spices Board and the Marine Export Development Authority. Notably, it was with A. Jayathilak that IAS officer N. Prasanth publicly opened a confrontation in the state’s IAS disputes.