Bengal Gets Its First Woman Chief Secretary

PTI, KOLKATA, DEC 31, 2025: West Bengal got its first female Chief Secretary on the last day of the year. Nandini Chakraborty, who was serving as the state’s Home Secretary, was appointed as the new Chief Secretary of the state. Chakraborty replaced Manoj Pant, who was scheduled to assume superannuation on June 30 but was granted an extension for six months starting July till December 31. Chakraborty, who was the state’s Home Secretary, was replaced by Jagdish Prasad Meena, the official added.

MP, Kolkata, Dec 31, 2025: The West Bengal government has appointed Nandini Chakravorty as the new Chief Secretary, marking a historic moment as she becomes the first woman to hold this position in the state. The outgoing Chief Secretary, Manoj Pant, has been named Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, retaining his rank of Chief Secretary.

Chakravorty, an IAS officer of the 1994 batch, has a long and distinguished career in public service. Before her appointment as Chief Secretary, she served as Principal Secretary, Home & Hill Affairs, with additional responsibilities for the Tourism and Parliamentary Affairs departments. Known for her expertise in handling sensitive and high-profile assignments, Chakravorty was also the second woman to serve as Home Secretary in the state, a position she held in late 2023.

Jagdish Prasad Meena, another senior officer, has been appointed as the new Home Secretary. Meena, an IIT Kanpur graduate, will continue to serve as Secretary for the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms.

The reshuffle comes at the end of Manoj Pant's tenure as Chief Secretary. Pant, widely regarded as a steady and consensus-driven administrator, had been credited with ensuring administrative continuity during politically and administratively sensitive periods. He was granted a six-month extension as Chief Secretary before retiring on superannuation on December 31, 2025.

Other appointments made in the reshuffle include Barun Kumar Ray, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy Sources department, who has been given additional responsibility for the Tourism department. Atri Bhattacharya, ACS for the Sunderban Affairs department, has been given the additional charge of Director General for the Netaji Subhas Administrative Training Institute.

Dushyant Nariala, Additional CS of the North Bengal Development department, will now also oversee the Correctional Administration (CA) department. Hirdyesh Mohan, ACS, retired on December 31, 2025, and Surendra Gupta, a 1997-batch IAS officer, has been appointed Principal Secretary for the Public Health Engineering Department, along with the additional responsibility as Divisional Commissioner for the Presidency Division.

The reshuffle reflects the state government's commitment to ensuring strong leadership and continuity in the administration as it enters a new year.