Divya S. Iyer
Iyer at her office in Pathanamthitta collectorate, 2021
District Collector of Pathanamthitta
Assumed office
12 July 2021
Appointed byChief Minister of Kerala
Chief MinisterPinarayi Vijayan
Mission Director of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA
In office
2018 – 7 July 2021
Appointed byChief Minister of Kerala
Chief MinisterPinarayi Vijayan
Personal details
Born (1984-10-16) 16 October 1984
Trivandrum, Kerala, India
Spouse
​
(m. 2017)​
Children1
EducationBachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
Alma materChristian Medical College Vellore
Profession
  • Civil servant
  • Medical doctor

Divya Sesha Iyer (born 16 October 1984) is an Indian bureaucrat, medical doctor, editor, and author who is part of the Indian Administrative Service in Kerala. She is the Managing Director of Vizhinjam International Seaport. She previously has held the posts of District Collector of Pathanamthitta[1] and Mission Director of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA.

Early life and education

Iyer was born on 16 October 1984.[2] She hails from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.[3] She is the elder daughter of Sesha Iyer, who is a retired Indian Space Research Organisation employee,[4] and Bhagavathy Ammal, a State Bank of Travancore employee.[5]

Iyer did her schooling at Holy Angel's Convent Trivandrum. She scored second rank in SSLC examination conducted by Kerala Board of Public Examinations.[6] She completed her 11th and 12th from the St. Thomas Central School, Trivandrum. She then got her medical degree from the Christian Medical College Vellore.[7]

Career

Iyer was a doctor before she began her civil service career and continues to practice medicine.[8][7] She joined IAS in 2014[9] and was assistant collector at Kottayam before becoming Sub-Collector of Trivandrum.

In 2016, as the nodal officer of Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) under the Election Commission and assistant collector in Kottayam, Iyer created a voter awareness campaign with the motto "My Vote My Future" to help improve voter turnout.[10] In 2016, she also wrote and sang the song 'Viral thumbil Nammude Bhaavi' to promote awareness of voting rights and to encourage voting, which was released during a press conference by the District Collector.[11][12]

In 2018, Iyer was transferred from her role as Sub-Collector to Deputy Secretary in the Local Self-Government Department.[13][14][15]

Mission Director of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA

Iyer at the #BreakTheChain awareness campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Iyer then served as the Mission Director of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS).[16][17] In this role, she was named one of the Kerala Insider 50 Most Influential People of 2020, due to her prominent role in the #BreakTheChain awareness campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic.[18][19]

District Collector

Iyer at Pathanamthitta Collectorate office.

On 12 July 2021, Iyer became the 36th district collector of Pathanamthitta.[20][21] In August 2021, she said she plans to continue measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as development of the district and measures that promote the empowerment of women.[22]

In 2021, following the decision of the State government to award title deeds to farmers in Konni following decades of protests, Iyer prepared and submitted a report with forest division officers as part of the process to distribute the deeds.[23]

In December 2021, Iyer distributed gender neutral school uniforms to the students of Government Tribal LP School Attathodu in Ranni of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala.[24]

In 2021 and 2022, Iyer and district police chief R Nishanthini helped coordinate the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage, and did not attempt to enter the temple.[25]

Divya took part in a flash mob with students of Catholicate College, as part of the MG University Union Arts Festival.[26][27]

Managing Director of Vizhinjam International Seaport

In October 2023, Divya was appointed as the Managing Director of the Vizhinjam International Seaport.[28] In addition to this appointment, she also was appointed director of the Solid Waste Management Project.[29] Her appointments are reported as part of a restructuring that resulted in the reappointments of several district collectors to new posts.[30]

Published works

  • Iyer, Divya S., ed. (2014). Applied Diplomacy - Through the Prism of Mythology: Writings of T.P. Sreenivasan. New Delhi: Wisdom Tree. ISBN 9788183283816.[31][32]
  • Iyer, Divya S. (2019). Pathfinder - Civil Services Main Examination (8th ed.). Kerala, India: DC Books. ISBN 978-8126442935.[33]
  • Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi; Iyer, Divya (2021). A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions / ETHRAYUM PRIYAPPETTAVALK ORU FEMINIST MANIFESTO. Kerala, India: DC Books.[34]
  • Iyer, Divya S. (2022). Kaioppitta Vazhikal. Kerala, India: DC Books. ISBN 9789354820823.[35]

Filmography

Year Title Role Language Notes Ref.
2017 Eliyammachiyude Adhyathe Christmas Nun Malayalam [36]

Discography

YearSongFilm / album / forLanguageRef
2016 "Azhakerum Nadinu Chithram" SVEEP Malayalam [37]
2016 "Ethirkalam Nam Kayyil" Election Commission of India - Tamil Nadu Tamil [38]

Personal life

Iyer with her husband K. S. Sabarinadhan

On 30 June 2017, Iyer married Congress MLA representing Aruvikkara constituency, K. S. Sabarinadhan in Kumarakovil, a temple at Thuckalay in Kanyakumari district, becoming the first MLA-IAS couple in Kerala.[39][40][41] On 9 March 2019, she gave birth to a baby boy.[42][43]

G. Karthikeyan, former Minister and speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly is her father-in-law.[44]

References

  1. ↑ Balan, Saritha S (10 July 2021). "Divya S Iyer IAS to Adeela Abdulla IAS, here are Kerala's 8 women District Collectors". Open Magazine. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  2. ↑ "Civil List". Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  3. ↑ "Sabarinadhan weds Divya S. Iyer". The Hindu. July 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  4. ↑ Philip, Shaju (4 May 2017). "An officer and the gentleman: Kerala IAS officer to marry MLA". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  5. ↑ "MLA KS Sabarinathan to marry Thiruvananthapuram sub-collector Divya S Iyer". Deccan Chronicle. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  6. ↑ മിന്റു പി. ജേക്കബ് (27 January 2022). "'മിടുക്കിയായി പഠിച്ച് ഐഎഎസ് നേടണം; പഠിക്കും, ഡോക്ടറാകും, ഐഎഎസ്സും". Malayala Manorama (in Malayalam). Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  7. 1 2 Aswin V.N. (25 March 2017). "Imperfections need to be appreciated". The Hindu.
  8. ↑ Staff Reporter (6 March 2017). "This bureaucrat also heals". The Hindu.
  9. ↑ "Kerala MLA KS Sabarinadhan to marry Thiruvananthapuram sub-collector Divya Iyer". The New Indian Express. Express News Service. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  10. ↑ "Straight bat: Vote bank message to lure voters". Deccan Chronicle. 5 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "പാട്ടു പാടി 'വോട്ടു' ചെയ്യിക്കാന്‍ കോട്ടയത്തൊരു കളക്ടര്‍...ദിവ്യ എസ് അയ്യര്‍". 13 April 2016.
  12. ↑ TMN Staff (12 April 2016). "Songbird bureaucrat: Kottayam Asst. Collector's beautiful melody encouraging voting". The News Minute. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "Divya S. Iyer transferred to Local Self-Govt dept". The Hindu. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  14. ↑ "Sub-Collector Divya S Iyer transferred to Local Self Government Department Department". The New Indian Express. Express News Service. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  15. ↑ Correspondent (6 April 2018). "Divya S Iyer went by the book in Kuttichal land deal, says collector Vasuki". OnManorama. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  16. ↑ Shiba Kurian (22 February 2019). "How NREGA helped in rebuilding Kerala, as well as provided livelihood to people". The News Minute.
  17. ↑ "Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme". Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  18. ↑ Lazar, Necin. "Kerala Insider's 50 Most Influential People of 2020". Kerala Insider. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  19. ↑ SMITHA TK (30 April 2020). "Food Kits, #BreakTheChain: How Kerala Made Life Easy During Corona". The News Minute.
  20. ↑ "Previous District Collectors". Government of Kerala. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  21. ↑ Ajmal MK (12 July 2021). "ദിവ്യ എസ് അയ്യര്‍ പത്തനംതിട്ട ജില്ലാ കളക്ടറായി ചുമതലയേറ്റു". OneIndia Malayalam (in Malayalam).
  22. ↑ "Collector Divya S Iyer envisions a women-friendly Pathanamthitta". Mathrubhumi. 14 August 2021.
  23. ↑ Staff Reporter (12 August 2021). "6,000 farmers in Konni to get title deeds". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  24. ↑ Staff Reporter (24 December 2021). "6,000 farmers in Konni to get title deeds". The edexLive. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  25. ↑ Arjun Reghunath (26 January 2022). "Women officers played key role in Sabarimala pilgrimage coordination". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  26. ↑ "District collector in Kerala joins students in flash mob, video wows all online". Indian Express. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  27. ↑ "Pathanamthitta Collector Dr Divya Dancing with MG University Students as Part of Flash Mob". News 18. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  28. ↑ "Bureaucratic reshuffle in Kerala: Vizhinjam Seaport MD replaced, six district collectors transferred". The New Indian Express. 14 October 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  29. ↑ "Divya S Iyer named Vizhinjam Port MD in latest round of IAS officer reshuffle in Kerala". OnManorama. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  30. ↑ "In major reshuffle, Divya S Iyer is new MD of Vizhinjam port, 5 districts get new collectors". English.Mathrubhumi. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  31. ↑ Nair, Govindan (29 December 2014). "A primer for aspiring diplomats". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  32. ↑ George, Alex Andrews (29 March 2015). "Applied Diplomacy – A Motivational Book for IFS Aspirants". ClearIAS. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  33. ↑ "Book Review – Pathfinder – A Blueprint For UPSC Civil Services Main Exam". InsightsIAS. 13 November 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  34. ↑ Sreenivasan, TP (9 March 2021). "Feminist Manifestos". Open Magazine. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  35. ↑ വിജയൻ, ലക്ഷ്മി (7 April 2022). "ആ വേദനയ്ക്കും ബുദ്ധിമുട്ടിനും ഇടയില്‍ എഴുതാനിരുന്നത് അതുകൊണ്ടാകണം ; പെണ്ണായാലെന്താ കുഴപ്പം". Malayala Manorama. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  36. ↑ "Divya S Iyer: From files to films". Deccan Chronicle. 28 November 2017. Archived from the original on 28 November 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  37. ↑ H Harikrishnan (26 April 2016). "Assistant Collector sings to raise poll awareness". Mathrubhumi. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  38. ↑ Anbarashi C. "என் வாக்கு!! என் எதிர்காலம்: பாடுகிறார் கேரள ஆட்சியர்" (in Tamil). Tamil Samayam. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  39. ↑ Jisha Surya (3 May 2017). "Kerala MLA KS Sabarinathan marries IAS officer". Times of India.
  40. ↑ "Kerala: Bureaucrat Marries Politician, Media Can't Stop Obsessing". The Quint. The News Minute. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  41. ↑ Sreenivasan, T.P. (9 May 2017). "Divya-Sabari alliance: history made in heaven". OnManorama. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  42. ↑ "Sabarinadhan-Divya S Iyer blessed with baby boy". Onmanorama. 9 March 2019.
  43. ↑ "Sabari-Divya's baby boy named after a raga". Onmanorama.
  44. ↑ "An officer and the gentleman: Kerala IAS officer to marry MLA". The Indian Express. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
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