Rao, a 1994 batch IFS officer, has been appointed for three years in place of Iqbal Singh Bains, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.
Bains, a 1985 batch IAS officer, had earlier been repatriated to his Madhya Pradesh cadre. Rao is due to be empanelled as Joint Secretary level.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved grant of pay scale of Joint Secretary to her against the vacant post of Joint Secretary, which would be redesignated as OSD till such time that the empanelment process of the officer is completed, the order said.