UP admin rejig: Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad get new district magistrates

The move came on Monday as part of an administrative reshuffle with the state government transferring 23 IAS officers, including the DMs of Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, and Prayagraj

GREATER NOIDA: The Uttar Pradesh government has appointed Medha Roopam, and Ravindra Kumar Mandar as the new district magistrates (DMs) of Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad districts respectively.

In Gautam Budh Nagar, Medha Roopam, a 2014-batch IAS officer, replaces Manish Kumar Verma, 2011-batch officer, who has been moved to Prayagraj, while in Ghaziabad Prayagraj DM Ravindra Kumar Mandar, a 2013 batch IAS officer, is replacing Deepak Kumar Meena. (HT Archives)

The move came on Monday as part of an administrative reshuffle with the state government transferring 23 IAS officers, including the DMs of Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, and Prayagraj.

Medha Roopam, a 2014-batch IAS officer, replaces Manish Kumar Verma, 2011-batch officer, who has been moved to Prayagraj.

To be sure, Roopam, considered a confidante of UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, is known for her sharp administrative acumen. She began her career as an assistant magistrate in Bareilly, followed by stints as joint magistrate in Meerut and Unnao.

A former competitive shooter, she continued engaging with local sports and community events while serving in Meerut. She later served as chief development officer in Barabanki, and then as the DM of Hapur.

In February 2023, Roopam was appointed additional CEO of Greater Noida authority. Soon after, she was posted as the DM of Kasganj.

She takes charge of Gautam Budh Nagar, one of the state’s most high-profile and high-pressure districts due to its rapid urban growth and developmental focus.

Notably, the outgoing DM Verma during his stint in Gautam Budh Nagar oversaw land acquisition-related dialogues around the Jewar airport project, monitored law-and-order sensitive developments during polls, and addressed environmental compliance issues in Noida and Greater Noida.

Meanwhile, Prayagraj DM Ravindra Kumar Mandar, a 2013 batch IAS officer, the new DM of Ghaziabad, is replacing Deepak Kumar Meena, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus, who has been moved to Gorakhpur, the UP chief minister’s constituency.

Meena recently led the investigation into the Prateek Grand City sewage flooding case and had been widely appreciated for managing the 2025 Kanwar Yatra.

Former Gorakhpur DM Krishna Karunesh will now serve as additional CEO of Noida authority, credited with facilitating a major MoU to expand Gorakhpur Airport operations.