The Union Public Services Commission is the foremost central recruitment agency of India. It’s responsible for recruiting all the Group ‘A’ officers under the government of India through various examinations. UPSC is among the few institutions in India that operate with both full autonomy and freedom. Articles 315 to 323 of Part XIV of the constitution contain elaborate provisions regarding the composition of the UPSC.
Also Read: Who is Manoj Soni, the new UPSC Chairman?
UPSC is consists of the Chairman and the members appointed by the President of India. The Chairman and the members of the UPSC hold the office for a term of 6 years or till the age of 65 years.
Sir Ross Barker was the first Chairman of the UPSC, who joined in October 1926 and held the post till August 1932.
List of UPSC Chairmen (2026-2023)
| Chairman Name |
Date of Joining |
Date of Retirement |
| 1. Sir Ross Barker |
October 1926 |
August 1932 |
| 2. Sir David Petrie |
August 1932 |
1936 |
| 3. Sir Eyre Gorden |
1937 |
1942 |
| 4. Sir F.W. Robertson |
1942 |
1947 |
| 5. Sh. H.K. Kripalani |
April 1, 1947 |
January 13, 1949 |
| 6. Sh. R.N. Banerjee |
January 14, 1949 |
May 9, 1955 |
| 7. Sh. N. Govindarajan |
May 9, 1955 |
Dec. 9, 1955 |
| 8. Sh. V.S. Hejmadi |
Dec. 9, 1955 |
Dec. 9, 1961 |
| 9. Sh. B.N. Jha |
Dec. 11, 1961 |
Feb.22, 1967 |
| 10. Sh. K.R. Damle |
April 18, 1967 |
March 2, 1971 |
| 11. Sh. R.C.S. Sarkar |
May1,1971 |
Feb.1, 1973 |
| 12. Dr. A.R. Kidwai |
Feb. 5, 1973 |
Feb. 4, 1979 |
| 13. Dr. M.L. Shahare |
Feb.16, 1979 |
Feb.16, 1985 |
| 14. Sh. H.K.L. Capoor |
Feb.18, 1985 |
March 5, 1990 |
| 15. Sh. J.P. Gupta |
March 5, 1990 |
June 2, 1992 |
| 16. Mrs. R.M.Bathew (Kharbuli) |
Sept. 23, 1992 |
Aug. 23, 1996 |
| 17. Sh. S.J.S. Chhatwal |
Aug. 23, 1996 |
Sept. 30, 1996 |
| 18. Sh. J.M. Qureshi |
Sept. 30, 1996 |
Dec. 11, 1998 |
| 19. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Surinder Nath |
Dec. 11, 1998 |
June 25, 2002 |
| 20. Sh. P.C. Hota |
June 25, 2002 |
Sept. 8, 2003 |
| 21. Sh. Mata Prasad |
Sept. 8, 2003 |
Jan.4, 2005 |
| 22. S. R. Hashim |
January 2005 |
April 2006 |
| 23. D. P. Agrawal |
August 2008 |
August 2014 |
| 24. Rajni Razdan |
August, 2014 |
November, 2014 |
| 25. Deepak Gupta |
November 2014 |
September 2016 |
| 26. Alka Sirohi |
September 21, 2016 |
January 3, 2017 |
| 27. David R. Syiemlieh |
January 4, 2017 |
January 21, 2018 |
| 28. Vinay Mittal |
January 22, 2018 |
June 19, 2018 |
| 29. Arvind Saxena |
June 20, 2018 |
August 6, 2020 |
| 30. Pradeep Kumar Joshi |
August 7, 2020 |
April 4, 2022 |
| 31. Dr. Manoj Soni |
April 5, 2022 |
- - - - - |
To date, there have been 31 chairmen of the UPSC. Dr. Manoj Soni is the current Chairman of the UPSC.
The constitution of India does not specify the strength of the commission and has left the matter to the discretion of the President. The commission usually consists of 9 to11 members including the Chairman.
Present Members of UPSC
| Name |
Service |
Position |
Term Started |
Term End |
| Dr. Manoj Soni |
Academician |
Chairman |
5 April 2022 |
27 June 2023 |
| Smita Nagaraj |
IAS |
Member |
1 December 2017 |
21 September 2023 |
| M. Sathiyavathy |
IAS |
Member |
9 April 2018 |
15 May 2023 |
| Preeti Sudan |
IAS |
Member |
29 November 2022 |
29 April 2025 |
| T. C. A. Anant |
Indian Economic Service |
Member |
14 January 2019 |
2 January 2023 |
| Rajiv Nayan Choubey |
IAS |
Member |
1 February 2019 |
27 January 2024 |
| Lieutenant General Raj Shukla (Retd) |
Indian Army |
Member |
18 July 2022[23] |
26 March 2027 |
Related: List of CBI Directors of India (1963- 2023)
FAQ
How many chairmen of UPSC have been there?
To date, there have been 31 chairmen of the UPSC.
How does a candidate become a DM?
To become a DM the candidate must first qualify for the UPSC-CSE exam and become an IAS officer.
What is the salary of an IAS officer?
The basic per month salary of an IAS officer starts at INR 56,100 (TA, DA, and HRA).
What is the age limit of the UPSC Civil Services?
21 to 32 years is the age limit for General category candidates.
Who was the first Chairman of UPSC?
Sir Ross Barker was the first Chairman of UPSC. He first assumed office in 1926.
Who is the current chairman of UPSC?
Manoj Soni is the incumbent chairman of UPSC. He assumed office on 5 April 2022.