TNI Bureau: The Tamil Nadu Government appointed retired IAS officer and scholar R. Balakrishnan as the Director of the International Institute of Tamil Studies.
An Odisha cadre IAS officer of 1984 batch, Balakrishnan had served as the Development Commissioner of Odisha and principal advisor to the Chief Minister until 2024.
He had served in various positions in the Odisha Government as well as in the Election Commission of India.
Balakrishnan has authored about 15 books both in Tamil and English including the much acclaimed Journey of a Civilization: Indus to Vaigai.