With All-Women Administration, Lahaul & Spiti Is Setting Leadership Example

The tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, is making history with only women in top governance and administrative posts. It is one of the first districts in India with an all-women team, according to reports. This came with Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer Kiran Bhadana's appointment as Deputy Commissioner on April 27. Earlier, during a session of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had announced his intention to designate one district in the state to be led by women in both administrative and political roles. Now, he has fulfilled this vision in Lahaul and Spiti.

Who Are In Key Designations?

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Kangana Ranaut was voted Member of Parliament from the Mandi constituency, which Lahaul and Spiti is a part of. Ranaut officially entered politics in March 2024 with the Bharatiya Janata Party and won her first general election with over 5.37 lakh votes, according to The Hindu.

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Kiran Bhadana, a 2017-batch IAS officer, was appointed as Deputy Commissioner. She is a Rajasthan-native civil services officer. She completed her education from Delhi's Shri Ram College of Delhi University (DU) and post-graduation from Jawaharlal Nehru University. After three missed attempts, she scored the 120th rank in the 2016 UPSC exam.

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Anuradha Rana, a Congress leader, is the Member of the Legislative Assembly, Lahaul-Spiti. Speaking to The Tribune, she said, "This initiative will create an enabling environment for common women in our society. Often, women feel hesitant in voicing their concerns to male officials. With women leaders in key positions, they will now feel more comfortable expressing their issues, which will certainly lead to better and more sensitive governance.”

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Beena Devi has been the Zila Parishad chairperson since June 2024. Belonging to a Scheduled Caste, she is a representative for grassroots communities in the district. 

Indian Police Services officer Ilma Afroz is the Superintendent of Police in Lahaul and Spiti. The 2018-19 IPS officer was appointed to the post in March 2025

Akanksha Sharma was appointed as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Keylong, on April 23. She was also posted as Project Director, DRDA in Keylong. She is a 2021-batch Himachal Pradesh Administrative Services officer. 

Shikha Simtia is the Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Kaza. She is a 2019-batch Himachal Pradesh Administrative Services officer and scored Rank 4, according to HP General Studies. The Chamba native finished her graduation from the Government. Degree College, Chowri, and post-graduation from HPU Shimla.