Visakhapatnam: Amrapali, born on November 4, 1982, to Katta Venkat Reddy and Padmavati, has made significant strides in her career as an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. Her father served as an economics professor at Andhra University, and Amrapali completed her schooling at Sai Satya Mandir School in Visakhapatnam. She earned her engineering degree from IIT Madras in Chennai and later obtained a Master’s in Business Administration from IIM Bangalore. In a remarkable achievement, she secured an All-India rank of 39 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination, making her one of the youngest IAS officers.
Amrapali, a 2010 batch IAS officer, quickly gained recognition as a dynamic officer in the administrative field. Her career commenced as the Sub Collector of Vikarabad, followed by a role in the Women and Child Welfare Department in Hyderabad. In 2015, she served as the Joint Collector of Rangareddy district and later took on the role of Collector of Warangal Urban district. In 2020, she was appointed Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, and after completing her deputation, she rejoined Telangana services and currently serves as the Commissioner of GHMC.
Despite her accomplishments, Amrapali has faced criticism during her career. While serving as the Collector of Warangal Urban in 2018, she encountered significant backlash for struggling to pronounce several words in Telugu during her Republic Day speech. This incident drew ridicule, especially when she couldn’t maintain composure while discussing the state’s Open Defecation-Free scheme. Additionally, in 2017, she faced legal challenges when allegations arose regarding her misuse of authority for booking an entire theater for her staff to watch the film Baahubali 2.
Recently, Amrapali reacted to the controversial Hydra issue in Telangana. The assignment of certain vigilance staff from GHMC to the Hydra system sparked controversy, leading her to write a letter to Hydra Commissioner Ranganath, requesting the release of those officers back to their original department. This action generated significant discussion. Meanwhile, she was directed by the central government to report to Andhra Pradesh, as her permanent address listed in the UPSC application is in Visakhapatnam.
Amrapali’s journey continues to reflect both her achievements and the challenges faced by administrative officers in the public sector.