Senior IAS officer Sujata Saunik made history on Sunday, June 30th, by becoming Maharshtra’s first female Chief Secretary. In 64 years, this is the first time that a woman has taken over the top post in the state.
Saunik, an officer of the 1987 batch, was appointed Chief Secretary by the MahaYuti government. She took over from former chief secretary Nitin Kareer at a ceremony held at Mantralaya, the state secretariat in South Mumbai, on Sunday evening. She will have a year-long tenure in office, after which she will retire in June next year.
According to reports, she was unanimously appointed to the position by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demonstrating support for women voters ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Sujata Saunik has over three decades of public policy and governance experience under her name. The new chief secretary also has an abundance of experience in education, healthcare, finance, disaster management, and peacekeeping at the district, state, and federal levels, as well as in international organisations as part of the Indian Administrative Service and the United Nations.
Saunik has held key positions in her almost 40-year career in the civil service. Among these positions, a few prominent ones are the Advisor and Joint Secretary to the National Disaster Management Authority, Executive Director, Central Social Welfare Board, Ministry of Women and Child Development, as well as Municipal Administrator and Civil Affairs Officer, United Nations Mission in Kosovo.
The IAS officer became the second woman in Maharashtra this year alone to take on a significant leadership role, shortly after Rashmi Shukla was appointed the Director General of Police.
Before becoming chief secretary, Sujata Saunik was the additional chief secretary in the state home department. Her husband, Manoj Saunik, is also a former state chief secretary. With Sujata Saunik's promotion to this top position, the husband-wife duo becomes the first in India's history to have both held the position of chief secretary.
Saunik, an officer of the 1987 batch, was appointed Chief Secretary by the MahaYuti government. She took over from former chief secretary Nitin Kareer at a ceremony held at Mantralaya, the state secretariat in South Mumbai, on Sunday evening. She will have a year-long tenure in office, after which she will retire in June next year.
According to reports, she was unanimously appointed to the position by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demonstrating support for women voters ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Sujata Saunik has over three decades of public policy and governance experience under her name. The new chief secretary also has an abundance of experience in education, healthcare, finance, disaster management, and peacekeeping at the district, state, and federal levels, as well as in international organisations as part of the Indian Administrative Service and the United Nations.
Saunik has held key positions in her almost 40-year career in the civil service. Among these positions, a few prominent ones are the Advisor and Joint Secretary to the National Disaster Management Authority, Executive Director, Central Social Welfare Board, Ministry of Women and Child Development, as well as Municipal Administrator and Civil Affairs Officer, United Nations Mission in Kosovo.
The IAS officer became the second woman in Maharashtra this year alone to take on a significant leadership role, shortly after Rashmi Shukla was appointed the Director General of Police.
Before becoming chief secretary, Sujata Saunik was the additional chief secretary in the state home department. Her husband, Manoj Saunik, is also a former state chief secretary. With Sujata Saunik's promotion to this top position, the husband-wife duo becomes the first in India's history to have both held the position of chief secretary.
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