In a significant development, senior IAS officer Archana Patnaik, hailing from Odisha, has been appointed as the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Tamil Nadu. The officer, who is currently serving as the MSME Secretary, will replace Satyabrata Sahoo, also from Odisha. She was designated the Chief Electoral Officer after the Election Commission of India (ECI) consulted with the state government.

The ECI’s official communication indicates that Patnaik will relinquish her current responsibilities in the Tamil Nadu government, effective immediately, to focus entirely on her new role. Patnaik’s career has been marked by notable milestones; she was previously the Collector of Coimbatore, becoming the first woman to hold this post in the district since 1945. Her administrative abilities were further acknowledged during her inter-state deputation to Odisha in 2017, when she was appointed Managing Director of the National Health Mission and assumed additional charge as MD of the Odisha State Medical Corporation Ltd. She later served as Special Secretary in the Water Resources Department in Odisha until 2020.

As Chief Electoral Officer, Patnaik’s role will be instrumental in overseeing the electoral processes across Tamil Nadu, ensuring transparency, integrity, and efficiency in upcoming elections. Her experience across diverse roles positions her well to contribute to the state’s democratic administration.