In a historic administrative reshuffle, Nandini Chakravorty was appointed as the first woman Chief Secretary of West Bengal on Wednesday. Her appointment, cleared by Governor CV Ananda Bose, marks a significant milestone in the state's bureaucratic history.
A Historic Appointment and Supersession
The 56-year-old, a 1994-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, took charge from outgoing chief secretary Manoj Pant. Pant, a 1991-batch officer, had retired on June 30 but was on a six-month extension that ended on December 31. Chakravorty's elevation is notable as she superseded eight senior IAS officers to reach the top post. Following her promotion, she was succeeded as Home Secretary by Jagdish Prasad Meena, a 2004-batch IAS officer who was previously Secretary of the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department.
A Career of Political Navigation
Chakravorty's career trajectory reflects a complex navigation of West Bengal's political landscape. Sources indicate she was close to the previous Left Front regime and headed the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) during the volatile 2007-2008 land acquisition agitations in Singur and Nandigram, which were spearheaded by Mamata Banerjee in opposition.
Interestingly, after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) came to power in 2011, Chakravorty continued as the WBIDC chief and was also given additional charge of the Information and Culture Department. However, she reportedly later fell out of favour with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and was moved to the relatively sidelined position of editor of the state gazetteer.
From Governor's Aide to Top Bureaucrat
Her fortunes saw a twist when, after heading several departments, she was appointed Secretary to the Governor. A tussle with Governor CV Ananda Bose led to her removal from that post. Paradoxically, this conflict is said to have brought her back into the state government's good graces. She was subsequently made in charge of the Industry Department and, in 2024, was appointed the state Home Secretary, setting the stage for her eventual rise to Chief Secretary.
Political observers note that her appointment by the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government comes just months ahead of the crucial Assembly elections in the state. A senior official at Nabanna, the state secretariat, suggested that her experience could give the government an upper hand in dealings with the Election Commission during the poll process.
Other Key Administrative Changes
The reshuffle also involved several other key appointments:
- Outgoing Chief Secretary Manoj Pant was appointed Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister with the rank of chief secretary.
- Additional Chief Secretary Atri Bhattacharya (1989 batch) was given additional charge as Director General of the Netaji Subhas Administrative Training Institute.
- Additional Chief Secretary Barun Kumar Roy was given the additional charge of the Tourism Department, which was previously held by Chakravorty.
- Surendra Gupta, Principal Secretary of the Public Health Engineering Department, was given additional charge as divisional commissioner of the Presidency Division.
- Dushyant Nariala, Additional Chief Secretary of the North Bengal Development Department, was assigned the additional charge of Principal Secretary for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
The appointment of Nandini Chakravorty not only breaks a glass ceiling in West Bengal's administration but also underscores the intricate interplay between bureaucracy and politics in the state, especially with major electoral challenges on the horizon.
