New Delhi|July ,31: Former Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan will take charge as the Chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on August 1 under Article 316 A of the Constitution, a government official said.
Sudan is currently a member of the Commission. She will take over from Manoj Soni who resigned a few days ago due to “personal reasons”. She will have a tenure till April 2025, when she turns 65. Soni resigned almost five years before his tenure ended in 2029. He joined the Commission as a Member in 2017, and was sworn-in as the Chairperson on May 16, 2023. His resignation came amidst the ongoing controversy regarding UPSC candidates securing employment by presenting fake certificates. Sources added that the resignation was not linked to the controversy regarding trainee Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar, who allegedly forged identity papers and presented a disability certificate to get into the service. The UPSC is a constitutional body as mandated under Article 315-323 Part XIV Chapter II of the Constitution of India. The Commission conducts several examinations on behalf of the Union government. It also conducts civil services examinations every year and recommends candidates for appointment to the IAS, Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Central Services – Group A and Group B. The Commission is headed by a Chairperson and can have a maximum of 10 members.
