Sujata Saunik Takes Over as Chief Secretary, First Woman to Hold the Position in the State of Maharashtra.

Mumbai : Sujata Saunik has taken over as Chief Secretary of the State, succeeding outgoing Chief Secretary Dr. Nitin Karir. Saunik also holds the distinction of being the first woman Chief Secretary of the state.

Outgoing Chief Secretary Dr. Nitin Karir welcomed Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik with a bouquet of flowers. Additional Chief Secretary Nitin Gadre, Municipal Corporation Commissioner Dr. Bhushan Gagrani, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Vikas Kharge, Additional Chief Secretary Anoop Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Dr. Rajagopal Deora, Tourism Department Principal Secretary Jayashree Bhoj, Principal Secretary Abha Shukla, Principal Secretary Dr. Harshdeep Kamble, Principal Secretary Manisha Verma, along with other Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, and senior officers of the department were present on the occasion.

State Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik said, “The monsoon session is ongoing in the state. Important strategic decisions have been made to give justice to farmers, women, children, youth, and the general public. I will strive to implement these plans and strategic decisions. The government has entrusted me with a significant responsibility. While holding the post of Chief Secretary of the State, I will always work honestly and sustainably for the public with the cooperation of all the public representatives, senior officers, and the administrative system.”

Brief Introduction of Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik:

Sujata Saunik is a 1987 batch IAS officer. Previously, she served as Additional Chief Secretary in the Home Department and General Administration Department, Government of Maharashtra. She is a 2018 Techmi Fellow at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health and completed a fellowship at the Mittal South Asia Institute in 2019, researching cross-sectional issues of public health, climate change, and disaster management. As a Techmi Fellow, she published a research paper on insurance-based health care in Maharashtra. Her book ‘Kumbh Nashik-Trimbakeshwar’ on Public Health was recently published.

She has served as Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the Department of Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship (SDEED), and Principal Secretary, Public Health and Economic Reforms at the state level. She was also involved in Oxford Policy Management Studies, summarizing the activities of major departments of Women and Child Development and School Education. Saunik serves on the Advisory Committee of Mumbai University and SNDTWU, Mumbai. She has worked on two UN humanitarian missions in Cambodia and Kosovo in the Women and Children and Disaster Management Divisions. In her various positions in the state government, she has always emphasized sustainable and transparent operations.