Maharashtra Makes History: Women Lead Top Bureaucratic Positions

For the first time in Maharashtra’s history, the state’s top three bureaucratic posts — Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests — are all held by women officers. This marks a historic milestone in Indian governance, showcasing women’s growing leadership in administration, policing, and forest conservation.

At the helm of the state administration is Sujata Saunik (IAS:1987), Chief Secretary of Maharashtra. She is the first woman to serve as administrative head of the state, breaking a decades-old glass ceiling. Interestingly, her husband, Manoj Saunik, also served as Chief Secretary before retiring in 2023, making them possibly the first husband-wife duo to have held the top post in any state.

Before her elevation, Sujata Saunik served as Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department and GAD. She is a 2017–18 Techmi Fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and also completed a 2019 fellowship at The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute on public health, climate change, and disaster management. She is also the author of the acclaimed book Deconstructing the Kumbh Mela: Nashik–Trimbakeshwar 2015 – A Public Health Perspective.

On the policing front, Rashmi Shukla (IPS:1988) has been appointed as the Director General of Police (DGP), Maharashtra. Known for her long and diverse policing career, Shukla earlier served as Inspector General of Police and head of the State Intelligence Department. She was in the spotlight during the phone tapping controversy, but was later given a clean chit after a closure report was filed. After taking charge as DGP, she announced her focus on women’s safety in Maharashtra.

Leading the state’s forest and environmental administration is Shomita Biswas (IFS:1988), the first woman to hold the post of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Maharashtra. Prior to this, she served as CEO of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and held several key postings in the Indian Forest Service.

This unprecedented leadership combination demonstrates how Maharashtra has become a trailblazer in empowering women at the highest levels of governance. With women officers heading the administration, police, and forest services, the state is setting a strong precedent for inclusive and progressive governance in India.