Renu Raj Marriage Photos: Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer Dr Renu Raj has got married to IAS officer Dr Sriram Venkitaraman in a private ceremony in Ernakulam on 28th April. The former is working as Alappuzha district collector while the latter is Kerala Medical Services Corporation Managing Director.
The ceremony was held at a function hall in Chottanikkara where only the couple's close friends and family members were invited. This is Renu Raj's second marriage. She was earlier married to a colleague but got divorced. Her second marriage is with Dr. Sriram Venkitaraman.
Both Raj and Venkitaraman had completed their MBBS degree before joining the civil services. Venkitaraman passed the civil services exam in 2012 and secured second rank. Renu Raj, hailing from Kottayam, passed the exam in 2014 and she also secured the second rank. She made headlines during her service years as the sub-collector in Devikulam when she took strict actions against the illegal constructions and land encroachments.
Suggested Reading : IAS Officers Renu Raj And Sriram Venkitaraman Get Married In A Private Ceremony
More about their career
Sriram Venkitaraman had to face suspension from his services after his speeding car mowed down a journalist named KM Basheer in 2019. Later, he was later reinstated as the joint secretary of the Health Department. His LinkedIn profile states that he is a bureaucrat, experienced in working in diverse government sectors like health policy, skill development and land revenue. He also holds an MA degree in Public Health, with a particular focus on Global Health.
"I thought that being a doctor, she could have helped 50 or 100 patients, but as a civil service officer, her one decision would benefit thousands of people will get. After that, I decided to give the UPSC exam" - Renu Raj
She was born in Kerala and finished her High School education at St. Teresa’s Higher Secondary School in Kottayam, Kerala. Then she studied medicine at the Government Medical College, Kottayam and subsequently started her medical practice as a doctor. Renu Raj has also talked about the reason she gave up on her medical career and why she chose to become a civil servant. "I thought that being a doctor, she could have helped 50 or 100 patients, but as a civil service officer, her one decision would benefit thousands of people will get. After that, I decided to give the UPSC exam.”, she said.
In an interview with The Week, Dr Raj said that she has no notion of changing society overnight, but she can guarantee that nobody will have to approach her for a second time if they have a genuine demand.