It’s quite a rare occurrence, actually, with both Punjab and Haryana having women IAS officers as Chief Secretaries at the moment. While Ms Keshni Anand Arora is the CS of Haryana, Ms Vini Mahajan takes charge in Punjab.
But the similarities do not end here. Both the Chief Secretaties come with well established `civil services connections.’ Ms Keshni’s two sisters Ms Urvashi Gulati and Ms Meenakshi Anand Arora also held the position of Haryana’s Chief Secretary at one time. On the other hand, Punjab Chief Secretary Ms Mahajan’s husband, Mr Dinkar Gupta (a 1987 batch IPS officer) is at present the Director General of Police, Punjab.
Three Sisters, all Chief Secretaries!
Known for her impressive track record, Ms Keshni Arora has made history by becoming the third sister from a family to hold the position of Chief Secretary of a state. Prior to her appointment, she worked as the Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue). Ms Keshni will retain the post till September 30, 2020, when she is due for retirement.The eldest of the lot, Meenakshi Anand Arora, a 1969- batch officer, was the first female Chief Secretary of Haryana. Subsequently, Urvashi Gulati, the middle sister and a 1975- batch IAS officer held the same position. It should be noted that such a case hasn’t been seen before in any other part of our India.
The three Haryana sisters have remarkably portrayed t that that there is not end to what women can achieve, if they are take charge of their lives and work towards their goal with profound dedication. Ms Keshni, along with her sisters, has set an example for the women of Haryana, a state known for its low sex ratio. They are a source of motivation for millions of women across the length and breadth of the country.
Ms Keshni has a degree in MBA from University of Sydney, Australia. She is the epitome of a powerful woman whose perseverance has led to her ultimate success. Just like her sisters, Ms Keshni was taught by her father, Prof JC Anand, a Political Science professor. Their mother was a firm believer of women empowerment and wanted her daughters to become independent. With their parents as their main source of inspiration, the three sisters studied diligently and cracked the UPSC exam in the first attempt. While Ms Keshni secured the second rank, the other two were amongst the top 20 candidates of their respective batches.
Punjab’s First Woman Chief Secretary
The story of Punjab Chief Secretary Ms Vini Mahajan, a 1987-batch IAS officer, is no less impressive. Graduating from Delhi University’s Lady Sri Ram College, she did her MBA from Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kolkata.
Under Ms Mahajan’s leadership in 2019, Punjab participated in the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, for the first time.
Ms Mahajan replaces Mr Karan Avtar Singh. The latter has been posted as Special Chief Secretary, Governance Reforms and Public Grievances.
