Who is Sujata Saunik, Maha's first woman chief secretary

Senior IAS officer Sujata Saunik made history on June 30 by becoming Maharashtra’s first female Chief Secretary.

Ms. Saunik, a member of the 1987 IAS batch, was appointed Chief Secretary by the MahaYuti government following the retirement of incumbent Chief Secretary Nitin Kareer. She will be serving a one-year tenure before retiring in June next year.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, reportedly, unanimously appointed Ms. Saunik for the role, signalling support for women voters ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections and coinciding with the government’s recent launch of the Fourth Women Policy aimed at empowering women.