Shri T. Prateek Rao is a 2021-batch Madhya Pradesh cadre Indian Administrative Service officer whose career brings together technology, management training, revenue administration and urban governance. Born on March 13, 1991, and hailing from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, he joined the IAS on December 5, 2021. After field assignments in Dewas and Itarsi, he is presently serving as Additional Commissioner, Gwalior Municipal Corporation.
Early Life and Academic Pursuits
Shri Rao built a strong academic foundation in Computer Engineering at NITK Surathkal and later pursued management education at IIM Calcutta. This combination of technology and management exposed him early to systems thinking, organisational decision-making and structured problem solving—capabilities that later became particularly relevant to his experiments with digital education, administrative processes and civic-service delivery.
Professional Genesis and Ascendancy
Shri Rao began his Madhya Pradesh field career as Assistant Collector, Dewas, before serving as SDO (Revenue), Itarsi in Narmadapuram district. His tenure in Itarsi combined core revenue responsibilities with initiatives around education and administrative digitisation. In September 2025, he was appointed Additional Commissioner, Gwalior Municipal Corporation, marking his transition from sub-divisional governance to the complexities of large-city administration.
Administrative Tenure: Building Smarter Public Systems
Across Itarsi and Gwalior, Shri Rao’s administrative work reflects an interest in improving how government systems function for citizens. His assignments have brought together digital access, process reform and urban service delivery, with technology increasingly used as a practical tool rather than an end in itself.
Expanding Digital Learning Opportunities
As SDM, Itarsi, Shri Rao supported the expansion of coding and digital-learning opportunities for government-school students in partnership with CodeYogi and other organisations. The programme opened access to practical technology learning for students from underserved backgrounds, with individual participants progressing from smartphone-based learning to developing web applications and other digital projects.
Improving Revenue-Record Management
His Itarsi tenure also included an effort to improve the management and tracking of revenue cases. Working with management students, the administration examined operational bottlenecks and developed a phased digital solution aimed at making case records easier to track and creating a framework capable of wider replication.
Strengthening Urban Sanitation in Gwalior
In Gwalior, Shri Rao has been involved in the Municipal Corporation’s efforts to strengthen door-to-door waste collection and vehicle capacity. During High Court proceedings in January 2026, he presented details of the city’s existing fleet and planned expansion, including the addition of further garbage-collection vehicles as the corporation worked to widen regular coverage across its wards.
Other Notable Achievements
- UPSC CSE 2020 — AIR 459: Shri Rao secured All India Rank 459 and was allocated the Indian Administrative Service.
- Earlier IRTS Selection: He had earlier secured AIR 724 in CSE 2019 and was allocated the Indian Railway Traffic Service, before improving his service outcome through the subsequent examination.
- Environmental Compliance Responsibility: As SDO, Itarsi, he served on an NGT-linked Joint Committee examining environmental concerns associated with the Ordnance Factory, Itarsi, adding environmental-regulatory experience to his field administration.
A Visionary Outlook
Shri T. Prateek Rao’s administrative journey reflects an effort to combine technology with practical institutional improvement. From opening new digital-learning opportunities for government-school students to improving revenue workflows and addressing urban sanitation challenges, his work demonstrates an interest in making existing systems more accessible, organised and responsive.
Why is he one of the ‘Stars of MP’?
Shri T. Prateek Rao stands out for bringing a technology-aware and systems-oriented perspective to everyday governance. His work in Itarsi showed how digital tools could widen opportunities for students while also improving administrative processes, and his present role in Gwalior extends that problem-solving orientation to essential urban services.
His progression from technology and management education to revenue administration and metropolitan governance reflects both adaptability and administrative breadth. This ability to connect innovation with practical public-service delivery gives Shri T. Prateek Rao a distinctive place among the ‘Stars of MP’.
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