Ajay Kumar, a former defence secretary, was on Tuesday appointed as the new chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The appointment was officially confirmed by a Union Personnel Ministry order.

The position of UPSC chairman became vacant after Preeti Sudan completed her tenure on April 29. “Mr Kumar’s appointment was cleared by President Droupadi Murmu,” the order said.

Mr Kumar is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the 1985 batch of the Kerala cadre. According to his service records, he served as the defence secretary from August 23, 2019, to October 31, 2022.

The UPSC conducts exams to select officers for services like the IAS, Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS), among others. It is led by a chairman and can have up to 10 members. At present, there are two vacancies in the commission.

A UPSC chairman serves for six years or until the age of 65.

What is UPSC?

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is a very important body in India. It is responsible for selecting officers for top government services like the IAS, IPS, and IFS. These services are known as All India Services and Central Civil Services (Group A and B). The UPSC chooses these officers by conducting different competitive exams every year.

For example, in 2023, around 13 lakh (1.3 million) people applied, but only 1,255 were selected. This shows how tough and competitive the exams are.

The powers and duties of the UPSC are written in the Constitution of India under Part XIV, called Services Under the Union and the States. It has the responsibility to help the government in:

  • Appointing new officers
  • Transferring officers
  • Promoting officers
  • Handling disciplinary actions

The UPSC gives its advice to the government through the President of India. However, the government is not bound to follow its advice.

UPSC is one of the few bodies in India that works independently, just like the Election Commission and the higher courts. It reports directly to the president and works with full freedom and honesty.

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