Appointment of the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission – UPSC

Appointment of the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission – UPSC

Why in News? 

Former Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar has recently been appointed as the new Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) by President Droupadi Murmu.

• Preeti Sudan, who previously led UPSC, was the second woman ever appointed to the post of Chairperson.

New Chairman of Union Public Service Commission: Ajay Kumar

• Dr. Ajay Kumar has been appointed as the new Chairman of UPSC by President Droupadi Murmu.
• A 1985-batch IAS officer, Dr. Kumar is now retired from active administrative service.
• He belongs to the Kerala cadre and has extensive experience in administration.
• Dr. Ajay Kumar was born on 2 October 1962 and has served in several strategic positions during his career.
• He worked as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, where he guided the country’s technological transformation.
• He was also the Director General of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and played a key role in strengthening the digital infrastructure of the government.
• He had a significant role in implementing the Digital India initiative launched in 2014.
  • As a core team member of the initiative, he contributed to the success of schemes like Aadhaar, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), and Jeevan Pramaan.
• During his tenure, he supervised the transformation of the Ordnance Factory Board into corporate entities, impacting around 80,000 employees.
• From August 2019 to October 2022, Dr. Ajay Kumar served as India’s Defence Secretary.
  • During his time in the Defence Ministry, he contributed to major reforms like the establishment of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), introduction of the Agniveer Scheme, and expansion of Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence.
• He holds a B.Tech degree from IIT Kanpur and completed MS in Applied Economics and Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota, finishing all in just three years.
• He has served in important roles not only at the central level but also at the state level.
• Dr. Kumar’s term as UPSC Chairman will continue till October 2027.
• Special Note: Along with his appointment, Anuradha Prasad also took oath as a member of UPSC.
  • She is a 1986 batch officer of the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS).
  • She served as Secretary in the Inter-State Council Secretariat and played a vital role in maintaining Centre-State relations.

UPSC Chairman Appointment Process

• Constitutional Provision:
  • The power to appoint the Chairman of UPSC lies with the President under Article 316(1) of the Indian Constitution.
  • This appointment is not made through any election or public process but is an executive decision approved by the President on the recommendation of the Central Government.
• Eligibility Criteria:
  • A person must have at least 10 years of experience in the service of the State or Central Government to be eligible for appointment as UPSC Chairman.
• Interim Arrangement:
  • If the Chairman’s position becomes vacant or non-functional, the President may designate a commission member to take over temporarily.
• No Special Examination:
  • There is no formal exam or interview process for the appointment. The decision is based on the President’s discretion and evaluation of merit.

Role and Responsibilities of the UPSC Chairman

• Leading the Commission: The Chairman heads the UPSC and oversees the smooth functioning of all its operations. They are entrusted with coordinating the efforts of all members and making the final decisions.
• Overseeing Recruitment: The Chairman ensures fair and transparent recruitment through Preliminary, Mains, and Interview stages. Ensuring transparency and fairness in the examination process is one of their core duties.
• Direct Selection through Interviews: For certain posts, the Chairman conducts direct interviews to assess candidates’ administrative abilities, ethics, and leadership skills.
• Posting, Promotion, and Deputation: The Chairman is involved in decisions related to postings, promotions, and deputations, assigning responsibilities based on officers’ merit.
• Framing and Amending Recruitment Rules: He plays a vital role in drafting and amending Recruitment Regulations to keep the selection process updated with changing administrative needs.
• Disciplinary Oversight: The Chairman helps the government in examining and recommending actions in disciplinary matters related to civil services, under service conduct rules.
• Advisor to the President: On matters referred by the President, the UPSC Chairman provides recommendations to the government, playing an important role in policy-making and administrative reforms.

UPSC Chairman’s Tenure, Service Rules and Suspension

• Tenure Limit: The tenure of the UPSC Chairman or member is limited to six years or until the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
• Regulations and Service Conditions: The terms of service for both the Chairman and members are defined under the UPSC (Members) Regulations, 1969.
• Accountability: All actions taken by the Commission are compiled into an annual report, which is submitted to the President of India.
  • This report is then laid before both Houses of Parliament, especially in cases where the government has rejected the advice of the Commission.
• Salary: The Chairman is entitled to a monthly salary of ₹2.5 lakh, whereas each member receives ₹2.25 lakh. This is equivalent to the salary of a Secretary to the Government of India.
• Resignation Process: If a member wishes to resign voluntarily, they must submit a letter to the President of India. The resignation becomes effective only after it is accepted by the President.
• Reappointment Prohibited: Once a person has served as a member or chairman of UPSC, they are not eligible for reappointment to the same position.
• Process of Removal: The President of India can remove the Chairman or any member of UPSC from office based on the recommendation of the Supreme Court, if found guilty of misconduct, corruption, or neglect of duty.
  • They can also be removed if declared insolvent, if they hold an office of profit, or if they are mentally or physically unfit to discharge their duties.