Dr. Raju Narayana Swamy, a 1991 batch Kerala cadre IAS officer, has created a new record by becoming Election Observer for the 35th time and that too this time in the largest constituency in Karnataka in terms of number of voters, namely Bangalore South. This constituency is one among the largest in the country – with almost 7 lakh voters. This is Swamy‘s third stint in Karnataka – the earlier ones being Gulbarga (now known as Kalburgi) and Hubli- Dharwad. He has performed election duties in 16 states across the country- including in naxal-affected areas such as Jharkhand and border areas of the country- and was International Observer in the 2018 Zimbabwe Elections. In 2012 UP Election, he was Roll Observer for Kanpur Division and was in charge of six districts. Swamy is experimenting new initiatives in this cyber hub of the country- including monitoring of social media for creating a level playing field.
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Dr. Swamy has penned 31 books and won the Sahitya Academy Award for his Travelogue “ Shantimantram Muzhangunna Thazhvarayil.” He also won – in 2021- the acclaimed Leonardo da Vinci Fellowship instituted by the Center for Intellectual Property and Innovation Policy, George Mason University for his scholarship in intellectual property law. He was awarded the 2018 Satyendra K. Dubey Memorial Award by IIT Kanpur for his professional integrity in upholding human values. He also won the prestigious Homi Bhabha Fellowship (in cyber law). A B.Tech from IIT Madras in computer science and engineering and a Ph D in law from the Gujarat National Law University , Swamy holds a PG Diploma from the National Law School, Bangalore as well as an LL M from NLU Delhi- both with gold medals.
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At present, Dr. Swamy is Principal Secretary to Govt of Kerala. He has also worked in multi faceted capacities- having been DM of five districts , Agricultural Production Commissioner and Commissioner Civil Supplies, Kerala and Chairman, Coconut Development Board, India. He has left his mark in every department he has worked in. He is known for his innovative and proactive approach to governance and is famous for his stint as District Collector, Idukki where he spearheaded the demolition of unauthorized resorts in Munnar – leading to the resignation of a Minister – which was widely applauded across the state. Swamy has in his various postings initiated several programs aimed at improving public service delivery including use of technology in governance , citizen engagement, transparency and accountability.
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