Mrs. Archana Varma, a 1995 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Assam cadre, holds a degree in History from Lady Shri Ram College and a postgraduate degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University. She began her career as Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Karbi Anglong and later served as District Magistrate of Goalpara, where she managed major challenges including recurrent floods and law-and-order issues, while promoting women’s Self-Help Groups and literacy initiatives. She also held senior positions in the Government of Assam, including Commissioner of Guwahati Municipal Corporation and Commissioner & Secretary in key departments.
At the central level, she served in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as Director (NRHM), contributing to the formulation of guidelines for the National Rural Health Mission. She later worked in the Department of Personnel and Training as Director and Joint Secretary, overseeing matters related to the CBI, reservation policy, RTI, the Central Administrative Tribunal, and the 7th Pay Commission. She also served as Additional Secretary in the Central Vigilance Commission, handling policy and vigilance matters.
After returning to Assam in 2020, she held senior roles including Principal Secretary in several departments, where she led administrative reforms, digital governance initiatives, and pension system improvements.
Since September 2022, she has been serving as Mission Director of the National Water Mission under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, bringing extensive experience in governance, policy formulation, and institutional reforms.
In conclusion, she has vast and varied administrative experience in public governance including management of rural, urban local bodies, women empowerment, education at the grass root level & human resource management & vigilance policy, health policy and water policy at the highest level of policy making.