Ram Varma, former Haryana chief secretary passes away at 84

Ram Varma, the former Chief Secretary of Haryana and a renowned author, passed away yesterday in Panchkula at the age of 84.

An officer of the 1964 IAS batch, Varma served as Haryana's Chief Secretary from January 31, 1997, to August 31, 2000, during Bansi Lal’s tenure. He was widely respected for his exceptional skills as a bureaucrat and his literary contributions.

Varma was the author of several books, including ‘Life in the IAS: My Encounters with Three Lals of Haryana’, ‘From Gillidanda to Golf: A Memoir’, and ‘Hinduism: From Rig Veda to Republic’. He also regularly contributed articles to various newspapers, sharing his insights on governance and society.

Born into a bricklayers’ family in Rajasthan, Varma joined the IAS in 1964 and was initially allotted to the Punjab cadre. Following the reorganisation of Punjab and Haryana in 1966, he was transferred to the Haryana cadre, where he eventually became the state's Chief Secretary. Before his career in the IAS, Varma taught English at Jodhpur University.

Ram Varma’s legacy as a dedicated public servant and prolific writer would be remembered for years to come.