Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Feb 21: In a historic move, the Karnataka government has appointed senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Meenakshi Negi as the first woman head of the Karnataka Forest Department. The Siddaramaiah-led state government issued the order on February 20.

Meenakshi Negi, a 1989-batch Karnataka cadre IFS officer, has been named the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF). Originally from Uttarakhand, she was serving as the member secretary of the National Commission for Women (NCW) before being relieved by the central government for her new role in Karnataka.

With over 35 years of service in the Karnataka cadre, Negi has earned a reputation as a capable and efficient officer. She has previously served as the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) in Ballari, Chikkamagaluru, and Mandya. She was later deputed to the central government, where she worked as the joint secretary in the Ayush Ministry. For the past two years, she has been serving as the member secretary of the NCW.

Meenakshi Negi’s husband, Vijay Sharma, is also a Karnataka cadre IFS officer who retired in January this year.