IAS officer Vini Mahajan became the first Woman Chief Secretary of which state in June 2020?

Correct option is C

The correct answer is (c) Punjab
Explanation:
· In June 2020, Vini Mahajan, a 1987 batch IAS officer, became the first woman Chief Secretary of Punjab.
· She succeeded Karan Avtar Singh, becoming the administrative head of the state.
· Prior to this, she served as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister.
· Her appointment marked a significant milestone in women’s representation in top bureaucracy.
· She belongs to the Punjab cadre of the Indian Administrative Service.
Information Booster:
· Vini Mahajan is an alumnus of Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
· Her husband Dinkar Gupta was then the Punjab DGP.
· She played a key role in managing Punjab’s COVID-19 response.
· Chief Secretary is the highest-ranking civil servant in a state.
· Her appointment was praised as a step towards gender equality in governance.
Additional Information:
· Punjab became the first northern state to appoint a woman as Chief Secretary.
· She was also involved in economic reforms and investment promotion in Punjab.
· Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan had not appointed a woman as Chief Secretary until that time.
· Her leadership during the pandemic was widely acknowledged by the central and state governments.