Who is Sujata Saunik, Women Who Created History in Maharashtra?

Sujata Saunik, a distinguished IAS officer, made history on Sunday by becoming the first woman to assume the role of Chief Secretary in Maharashtra in its 64-year history. Saunik, a 1987-batch IAS officer, succeeded Nitin Kareer, who retired on Sunday. According to an official, she will serve her full term before retiring in June of next year.

The handover ceremony took place on Monday night at the state headquarters, Mantralaya, in south Mumbai, where Kareer officially passed the responsibilities to Saunik. Prior to this promotion, Saunik was the Additional Chief Secretary of the state home department. Notably, her husband, Manoj Saunik, is also a former state chief secretary.

Who is Sujata Saunik?

Sujata Saunik, 1987-batch IAS officer studied at Harvard University's School of Public Health as a Takemi Fellow, brings a lot of experience to her new role as Chief Secretary of Maharashtra. With a career spanning thirty years in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Saunik has served at international organizations and at the district, state, and federal levels in healthcare, finance, education, disaster management, and peacekeeping.

Throughout her illustrious career, Saunik has held several key positions. She has held positions as the Executive Director of the Central Social Welfare Board, Joint Secretary, and Advisor to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), as well as in the Ministry of Women & Child Development. Her international experience includes roles with the UN Mission in Kosovo as a civil affairs officer and municipal administrator, as well as working in Cambodia as an election monitor and civil affairs officer.

Who Else were in the Race?

Besides Saunik, other contenders for the Chief Secretary position were veteran officials Rajesh Kumar and IS Chahal.

But after she was appointed to the position of secretary earlier this week, placing her among the nation's most senior bureaucrats, the administration was forced to designate her as the state's chief secretary.

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What does this Appointment Signify?

The decision to appoint Saunik, who had previously been overlooked twice, aligns with the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP Maha Yuti's mission to empower women, a commitment also reflected in last week's budget presentation.

Women Breaking Barriers in Maharashtra

Notably, for the first time in Maharashtra's history, the two highest civil service positions are held by women—Sujata Saunik as Chief Secretary and Rashmi Shukla as Director General of Police. 

Rashmi Shukla: First Female DGP of Maharashtra

The other top-ranking female bureaucrat in the Maharashtra government is Rashmi Shukla, a senior member of the Indian Police Service (IPS), who assumed the role of Maharashtra's Director General of Police in January 2024. Shukla's appointment makes her the first female IPS officer to be appointed to the highest position in the state police hierarchy.

Previously, Shukla served as the Commissioner of Police for Pune, where she launched the successful "buddy cop" program, which was later implemented statewide. Before taking command of the Sashastra Seema Bal on central deputation, Shukla was the Additional Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

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