Sarla Grewal (4 October 1927 – 29 January 2002) was the second female

Indian Administrative Service The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. Considered the premier civil service of India, the IAS is one of the three arms of the All India Services along with the Indian ...

officer in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, when she joined IAS in 1952. She was the

Governor of Madhya Pradesh The governor of Madhya Pradesh is a nominal head and representative of the president of India in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The governor is appointed by the president for a period of five years. Governors of Madhya Pradesh See also * Madh ...

(1989–1990). She was the principal secretary for Rajiv Gandhi. In addition to the above-mentioned posts, she held Shimla's first deputy commissioner, Secretary to Prime Minister at

WHO Who or WHO may refer to: * Who (pronoun), an interrogative or relative pronoun * Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism * World Health Organization Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Who, a creature in the Dr. Seuss book '' Horton He ...

and

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...

Career

Grewal did her bachelor's from Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya. After graduating, she joined IAS in 1952. Then in 1956, she was the Deputy Commissioner and was the first woman in India to be appointed to the post nationwide. She was awarded the British Council Scholarship at LSE on social services in developing countries, with special emphasis on health, education and society welfare schemes. In 1963, she became the health secretary in

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

and during her tenure Punjab received four awards for national family welfare. In 1985 Grewal was appointed PM's secretary. Later in her life she became the chairman of Tribune Trust which she continued until her death.

Death

Grewal died of pulmonary tuberculosis and

chronic kidney failure Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a type of kidney disease in which a gradual loss of kidney function occurs over a period of months to years. Initially generally no symptoms are seen, but later symptoms may include leg swelling, feeling tired, vo ...

on January 29, 2002.

References

Governors of Madhya Pradesh Indian Administrative Service officers 1927 births 2002 deaths Rajiv Gandhi administration Cabinet Secretaries of India Women state governors of India {{MadhyaPradesh-politician-stub