Charulata Somal

Charulata Somal, joining MIP as a JJ/WBGSP scholar, is an Indian Administrative Service officer with over 13 years of experience in governance including policy, infrastructure, rural and urban development. Her career reflects a deep commitment to inclusive development— whether implementing World Bank-funded water supply projects, or managing complex intergovernmental coordination at the national level. Her connection to nature is both personal and professional, rooted in extensive time spent in India’s forests and mountains— from the Himalayas to the Western Ghats—and informed by her participation in global climate leadership expeditions to Antarctica. Equally drawn to inner development, she has pursued spiritual exploration through meditation, mountaineering, and the outdoors. 

A graduate in Economics from St Stephen’s College, Delhi University, Charulata seeks to deepen her expertise in international policy, particularly at the intersection of climate change, energy, and environmental governance at Stanford. She hopes to gain exposure to cutting-edge research, global best practices, and a diverse cohort of changemakers. Her goal is to return to public service in India with enhanced tools to shape transformative climate and sustainability policy in India and beyond—guided by values of equity, resilience, and long-term planetary well-being.