Senior IAS officer Dr. Beela Venkatesan passed away on Wednesday at the age of 56. She had been undergoing treatment for a prolonged illness in Chennai.

Dr. Beela Venkatesan was well known for her role as Tamil Nadu’s Health Secretary during the COVID-19 pandemic, where her daily briefings and clear communication earned public trust.

A medical doctor by training, she completed her MBBS from Madras Medical College and joined the IAS in 1997. She served in many key positions in Tamil Nadu, including Sub-Collector of Chengalpattu, Commissioner of Fisheries, Commissioner for Town and Country Planning, Principal Secretary of Health, and Commissioner for Indian Medicine and Homeopathy.

She was the daughter of Rani Venkatesan, a former Congress MLA, and the late L.N. Venkatesan, a retired Tamil Nadu Director General of Police.