She gained a reputation for her firm administrative style. She suspended over 200 employees, including an Additional District Magistrate, for negligence in duty.
It’s not uncommon for IAS officers to find themselves in controversies, given the nature of their work and responsibilities. Recently, IAS officer Shilpa Gupta from Madhya Pradesh has been making headlines. The Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued a bailable arrest warrant against her for failing to comply with court orders, adding to her troubles. The bench, comprising Administrative Judge Sanjay Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf, has directed IAS Shilpa Gupta to appear before the court on March 23, 2025, along with a report.
This order follows a contempt petition filed by Hariom Yadav and other petitioners from Sehore. The petition claimed that over 50 teachers were posted in Tribal Welfare Schools under the unreserved category based on merit. The court ruled this action as unlawful and instructed that these teachers be appointed in DPI schools instead.
Who is IAS Shilpa Gupta?
IAS Shilpa Gupta hails from Delhi. According to records on doptcirculars.nic.in, she was allocated the West Bengal cadre and belongs to the 2008 IAS batch. Shilpa secured an impressive 54th rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2007, scoring 2207.06 marks in total.
Shilpa completed her schooling at a Delhi government school and went on to earn her BA and MA degrees from Jamia Millia Islamia. Her academic background is in Social Studies and Political Science.
The first woman collector of Morena
IAS Shilpa Gupta, originally from Delhi, made history by becoming the first female collector of Morena, a rural district in Madhya Pradesh. Her arrival was met with great excitement. On the morning of August 14, just a day before Independence Day, Shilpa reached Morena by train, where a massive crowd had gathered at the railway station to welcome her. The crowd included government officials, organization representatives, and curious locals who wanted to catch a glimpse of the new “Lady Collector” — a rare sight in a traditionally male-dominated society.
Shilpa’s husband, Ajay, is also an officer in the Madhya Pradesh cadre
Madhya Pradesh’s most talked-about officers
Shilpa Gupta gained a reputation for her firm administrative style. She suspended over 200 employees, including an Additional District Magistrate, for negligence in duty. Known for her hands-on approach, Shilpa spent half her day in the office and the remaining time visiting villages or inspecting fieldwork. Her focus was on improving schools and ensuring efficient functioning of public service departments. She even stopped the salary hikes of teachers who were absent from schools without valid reasons.
Why did the High Court take strict action?
On February 10, 2025, the Madhya Pradesh High Court issued a notice to Commissioner Shilpa Gupta, instructing her to respond by March 3, 2025. However, after the deadline passed, no reply was submitted, nor did her office communicate with the Advocate General’s office. Petitioners informed the court that several contempt petitions were pending against her.
Taking a strict stance, the High Court issued a bailable arrest warrant of ₹10,000 against Shilpa Gupta, Commissioner of the Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI).
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