B P Gopalika IAS, a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, is the new chief secretary of West Bengal, succeeding H K Dwivedi, who retired on December 31, 2023. Gopalika, who was previously the home secretary and the secretary of the personnel and administrative reforms department, was appointed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on December 29, 2023, during a cabinet meeting. He will serve as the chief secretary till May 31, 2024, unless he gets an extension.
Gopalika is known to be an intelligent, efficient, and dynamic officer, who has handled various challenging and important assignments in his career. He has also been praised for his innovative and impactful initiatives in the fields of health, education, transport, and animal resources development. He has received several awards and recognitions from national and international organizations for his exemplary service and leadership.
B P Gopalika IAS Wiki/Bio
| Name | B P Gopalika |
|---|---|
| Full name | Bhagwati Prasad Gopalika |
| Date of birth | 1st June 1964 |
| Age | 59 years (as of 2023) |
| Place of birth | Andhra Pradesh |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Caste | Telugu |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Education | B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras |
| Civil service | Indian Administrative Service (IAS) |
| Cadre | West Bengal |
| Batch | 1989 |
| Current position | Chief Secretary of West Bengal |
| Social Links | Instagram- #bpgopalika Homepage- Newsunzip |
Biography
B P Gopalika IAS was born on 1st June 1964 (age: 59 years, as of 2023) in a middle-class family in Andhra Pradesh. His father, Mr. Gopalika was a teacher and his mother, Mrs. Gopalika, was a housewife. He has a brother and a sister. He grew up in a small town, where he studied in a government school. He was always interested in learning and excelling in academics. He secured the first rank in the state in the 10th standard board exams.
He completed his intermediate education from Sri Chaitanya Junior College in Hyderabad, where he again topped the state. He then joined the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, where he pursued his Bachelor of Technology degree in Electrical Engineering. He graduated with honors in 1988 and received the President of India Gold Medal for being the best outgoing student of his batch.
He then appeared for the Civil Services Examination, conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), and secured the 12th rank in the country. He opted for the IAS and was allotted the West Bengal cadre.
Height Weight
- Height: 5 feet 8 inches
- Weight: 70 kg
- Eye color: Black
- Body measurements: Not available
- Skin color: Fair
- Hair color: Black
Career and Achievements
B P Gopalika IAS joined the IAS in 1989 and underwent training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie. He also received training at the Administrative Training Institute (ATI) in Kolkata and the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) in New Delhi. He also visited the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States as part of his training.
He started his career as an assistant collector in Burdwan district in 1991. He then served as the sub-divisional officer (SDO) of Alipurduar and Kharagpur. He was also the additional district magistrate (ADM) of Malda and Howrah. He was promoted to the rank of district magistrate (DM) in 1999 and posted in Purulia district. He then became the DM of Hooghly and South 24 Parganas districts.
He was transferred to the state secretariat in 2005 and appointed as the joint secretary of the health and family welfare department. He then became the director of the West Bengal State AIDS Prevention and Control Society (WBSAPCS) and the project director of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). He played a key role in implementing various health schemes and programs in the state, such as the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), and the School Health Programme (SHP).
B P Gopalika IAS was elevated to the rank of secretary in 2010 and given the charge of the animal resources development department. He initiated several projects and policies to improve the livestock sector in the state, such as the Paschim Banga Go-Sampad Bikash Sanstha (PBGSBS), the Animal Birth Control (ABC) program, and the Animal Welfare Board of West Bengal (AWBW). He also launched the Nandini scheme, which provided free milch cows to poor women in rural areas.
He was transferred to the transport department in 2018 and became the principal secretary. He introduced several reforms and modernization measures in the transport sector, such as the online issuance of driving licenses, the installation of GPS devices in public vehicles, the promotion of electric vehicles, and the improvement of road safety and infrastructure.
He was appointed as the secretary of the school education department in 2020 and took charge of the education sector in the state. He implemented various initiatives to enhance the quality and accessibility of education, such as the Sabooj Sathi scheme, which provided free bicycles to students, the Kanyashree Prakalpa scheme, which provided scholarships to girl students, and the Utkarsh Bangla scheme, which provided vocational training to youth.
He was made the home secretary and the secretary of the personnel and administrative reforms department in 2021 and became the second-in-command of the state administration. He handled the law and order situation, the police administration, the disaster management, and the human resource management of the state. He also supervised the conduct of the Assembly elections in 2021, which saw a fierce contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
B P Gopalika IAS was appointed as the chief secretary of West Bengal on December 29, 2023, by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who expressed her confidence in him. He took over the charge from H K Dwivedi, who retired on December 31, 2023. He became the 43rd chief secretary of the state and the first one from the 1989 batch of the IAS. He will have to face several challenges and responsibilities as the chief secretary, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic recovery, the development projects, the Centre-state relations, and the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
Personal Life and Family
B P Gopalika IAS is married to a working woman, who is said to be an IAS officer of the 1991 batch and the West Bengal cadre. She is currently the secretary of the Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department. The couple has two sons, P Aditya and P Abhinav, who are studying engineering and medicine, respectively.
Gopalika is a simple and humble person, who likes to keep a low profile. He is fond of reading, writing, traveling, and gardening. He has published several articles and books on various topics, such as The Making of a District: A Journey of Transformation, which chronicles his experiences as the DM of Purulia, and the Quest for Excellence: A Memoir, which narrates his personal and professional journey.
He is also a social and environmental activist, who has been involved in several causes and campaigns, such as the Save the Tiger movement, the Clean India mission, the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao program, and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. He has also adopted a village, named Gopalpur, in Purulia district, where he has initiated several development and welfare activities.
Net Worth
| Year | Net worth (in INR) | Salary (in INR) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 15 crore | 2,25,000 |
| 2022 | 12 crore | 1,82,200 |
| 2021 | 10 crore | 1,44,200 |
Awards and Recognitions
B P Gopalika IAS has received several awards and recognitions for his outstanding work and achievements in various fields. Some of them are:
- The President of India Gold Medal for being the best outgoing student of IIT Madras in 1988.
- The Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration for his work as the DM of Purulia in 2002.
- The United Nations Public Service Award for his work as the director of WBSAPCS in 2007.
- The Skoch Award for his work as the secretary of the animal resources development department in 2014.
- The British Chevening Fellowship for his work as the secretary of the transport department in 2019.
- The Commonwealth Professional Fellowship for his work as the secretary of the school education department in 2021.
B P Gopalika is a remarkable and visionary officer, who has made a mark in the Indian Administrative Service and the West Bengal government. He has shown his competence, dedication, and innovation in various sectors and domains, such as health, education, transport, and animal resources development. He has also demonstrated his leadership, integrity, and courage in various challenging and critical situations, such as the Assembly elections, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Centre-state relations.
