New Delhi: Medha Roopam became the first-ever woman District Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar Wednesday. Soon after taking charge, Roopam said that expediting work on the much-delayed Jewar international airport was her top priority.
“The first thing on my mind is the Jewar airport and its completion in a fast-track manner,” she told ThePrint.
The Noida International Airport in Jewar is the district’s most ambitious infrastructure project—one that is expected to reshape the landscape of connectivity for Noida, Greater Noida, and the Yamuna Expressway region. Before this, Roopam was posted as the DM of Kasganj.
The project has missed several deadlines since its foundation stone was laid in November 2021. Initially scheduled to be operational by September 2024, the deadline was first pushed to April 2025 and then further to 30 June. Given this track record of delays, Roopam refrained from commenting on the timeline she is aiming for.
Roopam’s appointment as District Magistrate is significant as she knows the district like the back of her hand. She had served as the Additional CEO of the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) between February 2023 and June 2024. During that time, she was involved in infrastructural and planning projects.
Roopam’s appointment comes in the backdrop of a major administrative reshuffle ordered by the Uttar Pradesh government on Monday. A total of 23 IAS officers were transferred, including the District Magistrates of Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, and Prayagraj.
Since her appointment was announced, she has been dubbed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s choice—the one who will be taking the CM’s vision of Noida forward.
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An open door
Roopam began her first day as District Magistrate with back-to-back meetings with the CEOs of the Noida Authority, Greater Noida Authority, and the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA).
“The important task before me is to liaise with all authorities and take the vision of Noida forward and implement it together. We need to work as a team,” she said.
The outgoing DM, Manish Kumar Verma, has been transferred to Prayagraj. During his tenure, coordination between the DM office and local authorities was often seen as strained.
“The best part is that I know the region — I’ve worked within the authority before, and now I’m the DM. So I understand both sides of the story and where the gaps are. I want to make a positive contribution in that regard,” Roopam said.
The 2014-batch IAS officer said her doors will always be open to the public. She calls it “Jan Sewa” — public service. Roopam said she will be hearing citizens’ grievances directly and ensuring that they are addressed in a timely and effective manner.
“Public grievances are the window to know what’s ailing the city, and that’s what I want to do. I want to know the loopholes and fix them,” she said.
Roopam is the daughter of Gyanesh Kumar, a retired Kerala cadre IAS officer and the current Chief Election Commissioner of India. Her husband, Manish Bansal, is the DM of Saharanpur.
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Old burdens, new hands
With the new role, Roopam will also be shouldering old burdens. The legacy issues of Greater Noida. Homebuyers’ concerns—stalled projects, unpaid dues by builders, and legal disputes—have been plaguing Greater Noida for over two decades now. Several DMs have come and gone, but there has been slow progress in the case.
“I have the homebuyers issue on my mind. And I would take a deep dive into the issues to understand the problems and how to fix them,” she said.
But more than that, she has her own personal vision for Gautam Buddh Nagar—to make it a green, liveable city.
“I want to make sure that there are enough green parks where people can come, relax and enjoy. It’s very important,” she said.
An economics graduate from St Stephen’s College, Delhi University, Roopam has donned several hats. She has been a national-level rifle shooter with three gold medals in the Kerala state shooting championship.
However, after scoring an All India Rank of 10 in the 2014 UPSC exam, she started her IAS journey from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. And she has been a media favourite. During her tenure as the DM of Kasganj, she was thrust into the spotlight when she drove a tractor through flooded areas to monitor the rescue efforts.
The article has been updated to reflect the correct name of Roopam’s husband.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)