Who is Preeti Sudan, Appointed as New Chairperson of UPSC

Preeti Sudan replaced Manoj Soni as Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Chairperson from August 1, 2024. She will be appointed as the Chairperson under artcile 316A of the Constitution. As per PTI, Mr. Soni has cited “personal reason” for stepping down earlier. His tenure was scheduled to end in 2029. 

Before her appointment as UPSC Chairman, Dr. Soni served as the member of the UPSC from June 28, 2017 to May 15, 2023. Dr. Soni has served three terms as Vice-Chancellor. These include two consecutive terms as Vice-Chancellor of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) from August 1, 2009, through July 31, 2015, and one term as Vice-Chancellor of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (The MSU of Baroda) from April 2005 to April 2008. At the time of his joining the MSU of Baroda, Dr. Soni was the youngest ever Vice-Chancellor in India and the MSU.

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Who is Preeti Sudan Newly Appointed Chairperson of UPSC?

Preeti Sudan, an Andhra Pradesh cadre Indian Administrative Service officer of the 1983 batch, held the position of Health Secretary for India from October 2017 until July 2020. She was born on April 30, 1960. She has been the COVID-19 pandemic's primary strategist. Following her retirement, she was a member of the UPSC until November 29, 2022. She is now named Chairman of the UPSC on July 31, 2024, and she will remain in that position until April 29, 2025.

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In addition, she served in a number of roles at both the state and central levels, including that of Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence as well as in positions relating to disaster management and tourism. She has played a significant role in the development and execution of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, a National Health Policy initiative of the Indian government that intends to offer free secondary and tertiary health care to the country's bottom 40% of underprivileged and vulnerable people. She has also worked for the World Bank as a consultant.

How UPSC Chairman Appointed?

The UPSC Chairman and other members are appointed by the President as per Article 316 of the Constitution. If the office Chairman position becomes vacant, then the duties shall be performed by one of the other members of the commission as appointed by the President.

As per Article 319, a Chairman shall not be eligible for reappointment to that position upon the completion of their term of office. But the other members of the UPSC can be appointed as the chairman of the UPSC or the chairman of any other state PSC. The chairman of the state PSC can be appointed as the chairman of the UPSC or a member of the UPSC, but is not eligible for any other employment either under the Government of India or under the Government of a State. 

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List Of UPSC Chairman

The UPSC was established in the year 1926  and the first UPSC chairman was Ross Barker who assumed the charge in October 1926. The first Indian UPSC Chairman was H K Kripalini who assumed the charge in April 1947 and continued till January 1949.