Medha Roopam
Credit: X/@MedhaRoopam
Medha Roopam, a 2014-batch IAS officer, made history on Wednesday when she took charge as the first woman District Magistrate (DM) of Noida's Gautam Buddh Nagar, as per a report in The Indian Express.
Roopam is the daughter of India's current Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who is himself a retired IAS officer.
Her appointment comes as part of an administrative overhaul by the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh that recently saw the transfer of 23 IAS officers.
She succeeds Manish Kumar Verma, who has now been posted at Prayagraj in a similar capacity. Her husband, Manish Bansal, is also a 2014-batch IAS officer currently serving in Saharanpur.
Born in Agra, Roopam graduateed from Delhi's prestigious St Stephen’s College with a degree in Economics. Besides her administrative career, Roopam is also a national-level rifle shooter and holds a state record in the 10m air rifle event.
Roopam began her career as an Assistant Magistrate in Bareilly before serving as a Joint Magistrate in Meerut and Unnao. Her career has seen her hold diverse roles, including Joint Director of the UP Academy of Administration & Management (UPAAM) in Lucknow, Special Secretary for the Women’s Welfare Department, and Chief Development Officer of Barabanki.
Roopam first became District Magistrate when she was posted in Hapur. Later, in June 2023, she was transferred to Kasganj after having served as Assistant Chief Executive Officer of Greater Noida.
Roopam recently went viral on social media thanks to a September 2024 video of her inspecting waterlogged rural areas from the top of a tractor.