Kiran Soni Gupta

Studio:33 Canning Lane

Ravi Shankar Shukla Lane

New Delhi -11001

Kiran Soni Gupta is an officer of the 1985 batch of the Indian Administrative Service from Rajasthan state. Till recently she was Textile Commissioner, Government of India posted at Mumbai. Presently, she is Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

She has worked in Government of India, Governments of Rajasthan and Kerala as a field officer with distinction. She has been District Magistrate in two districts and Divisional Commissioner in Jodhpur, Jaipur, Ajmer and Bharatpur. Kiran became the first lady Collector of the border district of Ganganagar and later, Principal Secretary, General Administration and Chief Protocol.

Her professional competencies were recognized when she was selected as a Mason Fellow by Harvard University for a Master’s in Public Administration and for a Master’s in Public Policy by Maxwell School, Syracuse. NABARD and NPC have recognized her twice for her successful initiatives amongst self-help groups and women’s empowerment.

In addition to being a successful officer Kiran is a prolific artist, writer,  curator and a keen photographer. She has showcased her artworks at more than forty forums of which nearly two dozen were international. Her artworks “NREGA” and “Pooja times’ and ‘Shelter’ were exhibited at the most visited Museum of the world the Louvre, Paris in 2012, 2013 and 2017. Her paintings on the ‘Famine’ won her the National Award. She has been honored with Indian Iconic Women’s Award 2019, Literary Excellence Award at 4th Asiad LitFest, National Gaurav Award 2017 and Fakhre-e-Hind Award 2018, ‘Swasti Samman 2013′, International Vaish Sammelan Award 2013′, “Unnat Bharat Sewashri Damini Award 2013″, Rajasthan Gaurav Award 2013 ” Nari Pratibha Samman “2012,” the ‘Kala Samridhi Award’ in 2010, Artist of the Year 2009″, “Special Achiever Award 2009″ and “Kala Shiromani Award” 2008. She was decorated with the Global Women Achiever’s Award in 2019.

Kiran also conceptualized, curated and organized Jaipur’s First International Art Festival in March 2013 with 130 artists drawn from all over the world. The Festival met with a huge success. She also did the 2nd edition of the Arts Festival in 2014 with 240 artists drawn from 24 countries. She has curated an international exhibition at IGNCA on celebrating Indian languages which has been exhibited in New Delhi, LBSNAA Mussoorie and Chandigarh. She was invited to organize the Gita Kala Parv at Kurukshetra in Dec 2016 by the Government of Haryana and Vigyan Prasar Kala Parv at Indian National Science Academy 2017 by the Department of Science and Technology.

Her works can be accessed on website www.kiransoniarts.in and on Instagram–kiransoniart. Her book ‘Range-e-Jahan’ and ‘Empower the Woman Enlighten the World’ has been launched in 2019. The Times of India has brought out a trilogy of books ‘Beyond Strokes’, ‘Kiran’s Art Renderings’ and ‘Women – God’s Finest Creation’ based on the themes of her artwork. Government of Rajasthan appointed her as Principal Secretary Art and Culture in recognition of her domain accomplishments. Her exhibition’ My Conversations with Nature’ is currently running at Civil Services Officer’s Institute from 11^th Sept 2019 to 11^th Oct 2019.

Academic Qualifications

2005-06   Harvard Kennedy School of Government Master’s in Public Administration (Mason Fellowship)

2005-05   Syracuse University (Maxwell School), NY-USA Masters of Public Policy

Certificate Course in Advanced Women’s Studies

Certificate Course in Conflict Resolution

Certificate Course in Health Services Management and Policy

Certificate Course in Environmental Decision Making, College of

Environmental Science & Forestry, State University of New York

1980-82   Punjab Agriculture University, India.

Masters of Science (Rural Sociology)

1977-80   Punjab University, Chandigarh India.

Bachelor of Arts with English Honors

Assignments:

Since Oct 2015                           Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor,

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and

Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs

May 16 2014 – Oct 2015          Textile Commissioner, Ministry of Textiles. Mumbai

July 2013                                     Principal Secretary, Art and Culture, Rajasthan

Oct 2012 – June 2013               Divisional Commissioner Ajmer

Oct 2011 – Oct 2012                  Member Rajasthan Civil Services Tribunal, Jaipur

Sep 2010 – Sep 2011                 Principal Secretary, General Administration and

Cabinet Secretariat

Managing Direction Civil Aviation Corporation

Jan 2009 – Sep 2010                      Divisional Commissioner Jaipur Vice Chancellor, Sanskrit University, Jaipur

Oct 2006 – Jan 2009                      Divisional Commissioner Jodhpur Principal, Institute of Hotel Management Jodhpur

2005 – 2006                                     Research Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Kennedy School of Govt., Harvard

Research Associate, University Committee for Human Rights, Harvard University Archives Assistant, Fogg Museum, Harvard University

Assistant, Harvard Alumni Association

Oct 2002 – Sep 2004                     Commissioner, Command Area Development and Colonization Bikaner and State Commissioner Guides, Rajasthan

June 2002 – Oct 2002                     Secretary, Administrative Reforms Commission, Jaipur

2000 –  2002                                     District Collector and District Magistrate, Sriganganagar

1999 – 2000                                       Director, Women and Child Department Secretary, Rajasthan State Women’s Commission

1998 – 1999                                        Managing Director Rajasthan State Cooperative Marketing Federation

Apr 1997 – Sep 1998                        District Collector, Rajsamand, Rajasthan

1994 – 1997                                        Deputy Secretary, Mines Department Govt. of Rajasthan

1990 – 1994                                       Under Secretary, Ministry of Personnel, Govt. of India

1989 – 1990                                       Managing Director, Kerala Women’s Development Corp. Special Officer, Sericulture

1987 – 1988                                        Sub-Divisional Officer and Magistrate, Trichure Kerala.

1986 – 1987                                       On the job district Training in District Quilon, Kerala

Awards

2019                                              Indian Iconic Women Award

2018                                              Fakhr-e-Hind Award

2017                                              National Gaurav Award

2017                                               Excellence Award at 4th Asiad LitFest

2017                                               National Mahila Gaurav Samman

2013                                              National Swasti Award by Kalavrat Nyas

2013                                              Special Women by International Vaish Sammelan

2013                                              Unnat Bharat Sewashri Damini Award

2012                                              Rajasthan Gaurav Award

2012                                              Meritorious  Women’s Award

2011                                              Valpraiso Fellowship, Spain

2010                                              Kala Samridhi Award

2009                                             Centrum Art Residency, WA, USA

2009                                             Artist of the Year Award

2009                                             Achiever of the Year Award on Women’s Day

2008                                             Kala Shiromani Award, Jodhpur

2006                                             J K Galbraith Fellowship, Harvard University

2005                                             Ray Vernon Fellowship, Harvard University

2004                                             National Award in 63rd All India Art Exhibit  Hyderabad

2003                                             National Award in All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society

2002                                             National Award by NABARD in Cooperative Banking

2001                                             Award for Integrity & Public Service by Canadian

Cultural Organization

1998                                               National Productivity Award in Agricultural Marketing Exhibitions

Appears In