The Government of India on Tuesday appointed Dr Ajay Kumar, former Defence Secretary, as the new Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). His appointment follows the retirement of the previous chairperson, Preeti Sudan, on April 29.
According to an official notification from the Department of Personnel and Training, “The President is pleased to appoint Dr Ajay Kumar as Chairman, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) under Article 316 (1) of the Constitution of India.” Dr Kumar will assume office from the date he formally takes charge. As per the rules, the Chairman of the UPSC serves a term of six years or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier. Dr Kumar’s tenure will run until October 2027, when he turns 65.
A 1985-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, Dr Kumar retired as Defence Secretary in 2022. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in significant reforms in India’s defence landscape, including the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) post in 2020 and the launch of the Agniveer recruitment scheme in 2022.
Dr Kumar is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and holds a PhD in Business Administration from the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota.
