Sonali Ghosh is an Indian Forest Service officer. She was the first woman to become the Field Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
Wiki/Biography
Sonali Ghosh was born in Dehradun, Uttar Pradesh, India. Born into a military family, she traveled frequently and discovered her love for nature at an early age. She appeared for the medical exam but failed it, which led her to take the civil exam and become an IFS officer. She holds a number of educational degrees, including a postgraduate degree in forestry and wildlife science, a degree in systems management, a master’s degree in wildlife conservation and a postgraduate diploma in environmental law from the National Law School of India. She also holds a PhD in geography from the UK. Sonali is the winner of IFS 2000-2003 batch.
appearance
Hair color: black
Eye Color: Black
family
parents and siblings
Sonali’s father, Colonel AK Ghosh, was an engineer officer, and her mother, Seema Ghosh, was a homemaker. Sonali also has an elder brother.
husband and children
Sonali Ghosh is married to Chandra Bhushan, an IAS officer, and they have a daughter, Lavanya.
religion
She believes in Hinduism
Profession
Sonali Ghosh joined IFS in 2000. Her first job was in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, famous for its one-horned rhino. Next, she was posted to Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary, where she was responsible for protecting the golden langurs. Sonali is the Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Research Education and Job Planning Department, Office of the Chief Conservator of Forests, Guwahati. She is part of the official revitalization process of Manas National Park. During her field work, she was involved in the first successful rehabilitation of a captive clouded leopard cub in the wild.
Sonali Ghosh (centre) joint patrol in Manas National Park
After working in the field for 15 years, she returned to work as a scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India, where her research interests include translocation conservation, protected area governance and exploring nature-culture linkages in heritage conservation. She has co-edited two books, Cultural Landscapes of Asia and Wild Treasures Anthology—Reflections on Asia’s Natural Heritage. On September 1, 2023, she became the first female Field Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
Sonali Ghosh’s first day as Field Director
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- She has received a Whitley Award for her work on tiger conservation.
- In 2013, she received the Marsh Marjan Award for her work on the Manas Project
- She has a PhD in remote sensing technology for tiger habitat suitability in the Manas region of India-Bhutan.
Sonali Ghosh accepts award from Brian Marsh
Facts/Trivia
- Sonali describes herself as a “down-to-earth wildlife lover”.
Sonali Ghosh (second from left) visits the zoo
- She was appointed as the Director of Swachh Bharat Mission.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education