Meet Rohini Bhajibhakare — Salem's first female collector in 227 years

Rohini Bhajibhakare has become the first female collector of Salem district, Tamil Nadu. Since 1790, the district has seen 170 collectors come and go, none of them women.

Rohini recently conducted an impromptu check on a government medical hospital, Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital, in Salem.

Before this stint, 32-year-old Rohini served as additional collector for development and as a project officer for the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Madurai district, Tamil Nadu. Rohini is married to IPS officer Vijyendra Bidari.

To The News Minute, Rohini spoke about how she had no private coaching for IAS and prepared for the prestigious civil service examinations all by herself.

"I studied in a government school and did my engineering in a government college. The experience has led me to believe that our government schools have good teachers but are lacking in terms of infrastructure. That is something I will be addressing in Salem as well."

According to a report by The Hindu, Rohini made a visit to the nearby Fort Government Girls Higher Secondary School and inspected the overhead water tank and the surrounding areas. Stressing on the need for cleanliness and a tidy environment after this visit, the collector stated that the district administration is joining hands with the department of health to increase the safety and precautionary measures against dengue in Salem district.

Since taking charge, Rohini has not wasted any time in going about her duties as the collector. She organised a meeting for weekly grievances and collected 362 different petitions, also allocating separate time to meet physically challenged people at the collectorate.

Speaking about her father's pride at her latest appointment, she told The News Minute,

"His advice to me when I told him I had become a collector was to make sure that I always put people first."

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