Women IAS officers now head 7 districts in Haryana in major administrative shake-up
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, May 26, 2026: In a significant administrative development following a late-night reshuffle by the Haryana Government on Tuesday (May 26), women IAS officers are now serving as Deputy Commissioners (DCs) in 7 out of 23 districts of the state.
According to officials, the latest changes include the appointment of Mandeep Kaur as DC of Charkhi Dadri, and Dr Vaishali Sharma as DC of Jind.
Earlier, Varsha Khangwal had been appointed DC of Jhajjar, further strengthening the representation of women officers in key district leadership roles.
Other districts currently headed by women IAS officers include Yamunanagar, Sonipat, Kaithal, and Mahendragarh, with officers such as Preeti, Neha Singh, Aparajita, and Anupama Anjali serving as DCs in these districts.
Administrative observer Advocate Hemant Kumar noted that among Haryana’s total districts, 4 DCs are IAS officers promoted from HCS, while 3 belong to the non-HCS quota, and the remaining majority are directly recruited IAS officers allotted to the Haryana cadre.
He further highlighted that districts like Hisar, Panchkula, Charkhi Dadri, and Jhajjar are currently headed by officers promoted from the Haryana Civil Services (HCS), reflecting a diverse administrative mix.
Senior officials including Dr Vivek Bharti, Dr Harish Kumar Vashishth, and Dr Jender Kumar Chhillar are among those serving as DCs in districts like Fatehabad, Panipat, and Palwal under the non-state civil service quota.
Experts note that while earlier it was common for IAS officers with 9–16 years of service to be appointed as district DCs, Haryana has recently seen younger officers, including 2018 and even 2019 batch IAS officers, being entrusted with district leadership responsibilities.
The reshuffle is being viewed as part of a broader administrative trend toward rapid leadership rotation and increased representation of women in key governance roles across Haryana.