Former Health Secretary Preeti Sudan becomes UPSC member: Personnel min

Former Health Secretary Preeti Sudan on Tuesday took oath as a member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), according to a Personnel Ministry statement.

The UPSC conducts civil services examination annually in three stages -- preliminary, main and interview -- to select officers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others.

Sudan, a 1983-batch (retired) IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, was administered the oath by UPSC chairman Manoj Soni at the central hall of the main building of the commission here, it said.

She superannuated as the health secretary in July 2020.

Sudan also served as Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution, and in the ministries of Women and Child Development and Defence.

In her cadre state Andhra Pradesh, she handled finance and planning, disaster management, tourism and agriculture portfolios.

Among her notable contributions have been initiating two major flagship programmes of the country -- Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and Ayushman Bharat -- apart from legislation on the National Medical Commission, Allied Health Professional Commission and ban on e-cigarettes, the statement said.

Sudan was also a consultant with the World Bank.

The UPSC is headed by a chairperson and can have a maximum of 10 members.

With her appointment, there is still a vacancy of four members in the commission.