Saxena appointed acting UPSC chief

UPSC member Arvind Saxena has been appointed as the acting Chairman of the commission from June 20, a government order said.

Saxena, a 1978-batch Indian Postal Service officer, will take over the charge from incumbent Vinay Mittal who completes his term at the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on June 19.

A latest government order said Saxena will "perform the duties of the post of Chairman, UPSC" with effect from June 20 till further orders or till completion of his tenure on August 7, 2020.

Saxena joined the UPSC in May, 2015 after he completed his stint in the Aviation Research Centre (ARC).

The officer has also worked in the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) after he joined it in 1988 and "specialised in the study of strategic developments in neighbouring countries".

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