Who is Dr Renu Raj? Know More About This Medical Professional Turned IAS Officer

Alappuzha District Collector Dr Renu Raj got married to fellow IAS officer Dr Sriram Venkitaraman on April 28. The IAS officer Raj made headlines when she topped the Union Public Service Commission exam in her first attempt, securing the second rank in 2014. Coincidentally, Dr Venkitraman, who is also a graduate in medicine like Dr Raj, was the second rank holder in UPSC exams for the year 2012.

The wedding ceremony took place at a function hall in Chottanikkara. The couple had only invited their family members and friends.

The similarities between the two are many. Both the IAS officers have also served as sub-collector in the Devikulam area of Kerala. Dr Raj was previously married to another IAS officer but is now divorced. The couple took to WhatsApp to share the news about their nuptials with their colleagues.

According to a report, the wedding is expected to take place on May 1.

Who is Dr Renu Raj?

Born in Kerala, Dr Raj 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.

 Childhood dream

Dr Raj wanted to become an IAS officer since childhood, however, as she was working as a surgeon, she decided that she wanted to do something for the common people that would make their life better. So she left her job as a doctor and decided to be an IAS officer. The doctor turned IAS officer used to study for about six hours a day for the UPSC exam since 2013 along with pursuing her profession as a full-time doctor.

Later she decided to quit her job for good and started preparing for the UPSC examination. After she cracked her UPSC mains, she went back to her medical practice while also preparing for her exams.

Back in 2015 Shahi Tharoor had congratulated her after clearing the UPSC exams.

Congratulating Dr Renu Raj, who came 2nd in the UPSC exams,&with her parents (father a pensioner, mother a homemaker) pic.twitter.com/zAxQJ0Udo9

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 4, 2015

Read more about Women IAS officers here

In an interview, Dr Raj said that she left her job as a doctor to become an IAS officer because she thought that being a doctor she could help only 50 to 100 patients, however, as an IAS officer her one decision would be beneficial for thousands of people. The IAS officer is known for taking strict actions against illegal constructions and land encroachments. In 2019, Dr Raj, who is the sub-collector of Devikulam, squared up to local leaders during a clean-up drive against encroachments and illegal construction.

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.