President appoints former Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar as chairman of UPSC

A retired IAS officer of the 1985 Kerala cadre, Ajay Kumar is an IIT Kanpur alumnus who played a key role in major defence reforms and helped build India's digital & electronics manufacturing sectors

A retired IAS officer of the 1985 Kerala cadre, Ajay Kumar is an IIT Kanpur alumnus who played a key role in major defence reforms and helped build India’s digital and electronics manufacturing sectors

 

Former Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar has been named the new Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), in accordance with an order from the Ministry of Personnel. The appointment, approved by President Droupadi Murmu, was announced on Tuesday.

 

“The tenure of Dr Ajay Kumar as chairman, will commence from the date he enters upon the office of chairman, UPSC. The term of his appointment will be regulated in accordance with the provisions of Article 316(2) of the Constitution of India, and the conditions of service will be governed by UPSC (Members) Regulations, 1969, as amended from time to time,” mentioned the letter issued by the Ministry Of Personnel.

 

Ajay Kumar takes over the post after the previous chairperson, Preeti Sudan, completed her term on April 29.

 

 Who is Ajay Kumar, new chairman of UPSC?

 

Ajay Kumar, a retired IAS officer of the 1985 Kerala cadre, is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur. He holds a PhD in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota, US.

 

He served as Defence Secretary from August 2019 to October 2022. During this time, he led major defence reforms such as the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff, the Agniveer recruitment scheme, and the corporatisation of Ordnance Factories. He also supported the AtmaNirbhar Bharat initiative that aimed at making India more self-reliant in defence.

 

Architect behind Aadhaar and UPI

 

Apart from defence, he played a key role in several Digital India projects while working with the Ministry of Electronics and IT. His work contributed to the development of UPI, Aadhaar, myGov, and the Government e-Marketplace. He also helped grow India’s electronics and mobile manufacturing sector through the National Electronics Policy 2012.

 

Kumar has worked with several governments, including those led by the BJP, Congress, and Left parties. In Kerala, he held key positions such as principal secretary and managing director of KELTRON.

 

The UPSC conducts exams to select top civil servants like IAS, IPS, and IFS officers. The Chairman of UPSC is appointed for six years or until the age of 65. Currently, there are two vacancies among its members.