Dr. Navjot Khosa is a 2012-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Kerala cadre, currently serving as Director of Census Operations (DCO) and Director of Citizen Registration (DCR) for Punjab and Chandigarh. She secured All India Rank 95 in the Civil Services Examination 2011 and is known for combining medical expertise with administrative leadership.
Dr. Navjot Khosa Academic Background
Dr. Khosa holds a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree from Government Medical College, Amritsar, where she was a consistent gold medalist and university topper. Before joining the IAS, she cleared the Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) in 2010 and began training as a Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Jaipur, reflecting her early commitment to public service.
Administrative Career and Key Roles
Over the years, she has held several significant assignments in Kerala and on central deputation. As District Collector of Thiruvananthapuram from 2020 to 2022, she guided the district through the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and introduced Kerala’s first drive-through vaccination centre to minimise crowding.
She later served as Labour Commissioner, Kerala, after earlier roles that included Managing Director of the National Ayush Mission and Food Safety Commissioner in the state, where she focused on strengthening public health systems and regulatory enforcement. Her early field experience as Sub-Collector, Thalassery, helped shape her grassroots administrative approach.
In her current role, she has been granted a tenure extension until December 31, 2027, to oversee census and citizen registration work in Punjab and Chandigarh, underscoring institutional confidence in her leadership.
Navjot Khosa Notable Contributions
IAS Dr. Khosa earned recognition for her pandemic management strategy, which emphasised home-quarantine monitoring, decentralised response, and innovative vaccination delivery. Drawing on her medical background, she has consistently prioritised disease prevention, food safety, and community health. She was also part of a notable phase in Kerala when a majority of districts were led by women collectors, symbolising progress in gender representation in governance.
Personal Background
Originally from Bathinda, Punjab, Dr. Khosa has often described her journey into the civil services as a dream shared with her father. Her transition from dentistry to administration reflects a desire to contribute to society at a broader systemic level.
With a blend of clinical insight and administrative experience, she is regarded as a public-health-oriented civil servant with a strong record in crisis management and governance delivery.
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