Bad news for IAS officer Smita Sabharwal as she faces action for resharing AI image
Hyderabad: A senior IAS officer, Smita Sabharwal, who was in news recently for resharing an AI-generated post on Kancha Gachibowli land row on X, was transferred by the Telangana government on Sunday, April 27, 2025. Sabharwal recently served notice as a witness by the police over the resharing of an AI-generated image of a 400-acre land here next to the University of Hyderabad (UoH), was transferred and posted as Member Secretary.
In a reshuffle of the IAS officers on Sunday night, the state government posted Shashank Goel, Director General, Dr MCR HRD Institute, as Vice Chairman, Centre for Good Governance. Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, IT and Sports department, was posted as CEO, Industry and Investment Cell in CMO.
Among others, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner Ilambarithi K was posted as Secretary, Metropolitan Area and Urban Development department (HMDA limits). RV Karnan, Director, Health and Family Welfare, was posted as GHMC Commissioner. Who is Smita Sabharwal? Smita Sabharwal had been serving as the Principal Secretary (Youth Affairs, Tourism and Culture) of the Telangana government.
She was appointed as Secretary to the Government for Youth Advancement, Tourism & Culture on November 11, 2024.
Smita Sabharwal was born on June 19, 1977 and is a 2001-batch IAS officer of the then Andhra Pradesh cadre.
Her maiden name is Smita Das.
She was born into a Bengali family in Darjeeling, West Bengal. Her father, Colonel Pranab Das, served in the Indian Army, and her mother is Purabi Das.
Sabharwal completed her schooling at St. Ann's High School in Secunderabad, where she topped the ICSE examination nationally.
She pursued a commerce degree from St. Francis College for Women in Hyderabad.
At the age of 22, she cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2000, securing the All India 4th rank.
In 2001, she underwent administrative training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie, followed by her district-level training in Adilabad during probation.
Her first independent posting was as a sub-collector in Madanapalle, Chittoor, where she gained practical experience in land revenue management and district administration.
She later worked in the rural development sector as the Project Director of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) in Kadapa.
As the municipal commissioner of Warangal, she introduced the 'Fund your City' initiative, which enabled the development of public infrastructure such as traffic junctions, bus stops, foot-overbridges, and parks through public-private partnerships. She subsequently served as the deputy commissioner for commercial taxes in Visakhapatnam.
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