Who Is Vimla Gunjiyal, Unopposed Head Of A Village On Strategic Indo-Tibet Border?
Gunjiyal is set to be declared the winner, as no one else entered the fray in the Uttarakhand village of Gunji, as a community consensus.
Published : July 6, 2025 at 1:49 PM IST
Pithoragarh: Retired IPS officer and former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vimla Gunjiyal has been elected unopposed as the gram pradhan (village head) of Gunji in Uttarakhand. According to the panchayat poll officials, Gunjiyal is set to be declared the winner, as no one entered the fray, with five potential candidates stepping aside to support her. However, the official announcement will be made on July 11, after the withdrawal deadline.
She said her decision to contest came after villagers encouraged her. “My fellow villagers asked me to help develop our village by becoming the head. I agreed only if elected unanimously, and they chose me unopposed,” she told the media.
“I have spent my life serving elsewhere, and now it's time to give back to my native land,” Gunjiyal said, adding that she had no political ambitions but wanted to fulfil her goal of social service and help her village to grow.
“I am ready to tackle important issues like sanitation, better infrastructure, and resource management for Gunji, which sits near the India-China border and is part of the government's Vibrant Village program,” she said.
Gunjiyal’s background
Born on July 1, 1965, Gunjiyal joined the Uttar Pradesh Police Service in 1990 and was inducted into the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 2004.
Gunjiyal is known for her dedication, hard work, and honesty, for which she also received the President's Police Medal in 2012. Credited for being the ‘first woman police officer from her region,’ Gunjiyal retired in May 2025 as Inspector General (Prisons).
More about Gunji Village.
Gunji is located at an altitude of 10,500 ft in Byas Valley near the Indo-Tibet border, giving it strategic importance. It was a major trade hub before the 1962 India-China War.
Gunji has already got national recognition as it serves as a gateway to Adi Kailash, Om Parvat, and Kailash Mansarovar yatra routes. The scope of recognition became even wider after October 12, 2023, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the village.
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