Former Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar Appointed as New UPSC Chairman

Dr. Ajay Kumar, former Defence Secretary, has been appointed as the new chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), succeeding Preeti Sudan, who retired on April 29. A 1985 batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, Kumar retired in 2022 and will serve as UPSC chairman until October 2027, when he turns 65. During his tenure as Defence Secretary, he oversaw the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff post and the launch of the Agniveer scheme. An IIT Kanpur alumnus with a PhD from the University of Minnesota, Kumar also played a key role in implementing major Digital India initiatives.