Former Defence Secretary Dr. Ajay Kumar officially assumed charge as the new Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Thursday. The oath of office was administered by Lt General (Retd) Raj Shukla, the senior-most member of the Commission.
An accomplished bureaucrat from the 1985 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Kerala cadre, Dr. Kumar brings with him over 35 years of rich experience in public service across both the state and central governments. His academic credentials are equally notable, having earned a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kanpur, an MS in Applied Economics, and a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota, USA. He was also awarded a Doctor of Philosophy by Amity University in 2019.
Throughout his career, Dr. Kumar has held several influential positions. In the Kerala state government, he served as Managing Director of the Electronics and IT Department and as Principal Secretary in the same department. At the central level, he served as Director in the Department of Science and Technology, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and IT, Director General of the National Informatics Centre (NIC), Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and IT, and Secretary of Defence Production. His most recent position was as the Secretary in the Ministry of Defence.
Dr. Kumar is widely recognized for spearheading major e-Governance initiatives. These include the introduction of “Jeevan Pramaan” (digital life certificates for pensioners), the myGov platform, the PRAGATI platform for the Prime Minister’s video conferencing with stakeholders, a nationwide Biometric Attendance System, OPD Registration System in AIIMS, and the formulation of the “Cloud First” policy for the adoption of cloud services in government operations.
He has also made significant academic contributions, with numerous publications in both national and international journals. His contributions have earned him several accolades, including the “Silver Elephant” medallion by the National Scouts and Guides (1994), “Electronics Leader of the Year” (2012), “Technovation Sarabhai Award” by the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (2015), and the “Champion of Change” award by the Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association (2017).
Dr. Kumar’s appointment as UPSC Chairman is expected to strengthen the Commission’s role in selecting India’s top civil servants and reinforcing institutional excellence in public administration.
Sources By Agencies