1985 batch IAS officer Dr. Ajay Kumar assumes office as UPSC Chairman

Dr. Ajay Kumar, former Defence Secretary, officially assumed charge as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) today. The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Raj Shukla, the senior-most member of the Commission.

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An accomplished civil servant from the 1985 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (Kerala cadre), Dr. Kumar brings over three decades of rich administrative experience to the role. His academic credentials include a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kanpur, an M.S. in Applied Economics, and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota, USA. He was also honoured with a Doctorate by Amity University in 2019.

Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Kumar has held several prominent roles in both the Kerala State Government and the Central Government. His central assignments have included leading positions in the Ministries of Defence, Electronics & IT, and Communications. He played a pivotal role in launching digital governance initiatives such as Jeevan Pramaan, myGov, and the biometric attendance system.

A recognized thought leader in public administration and technology, Dr. Kumar has been published in numerous journals and has received several accolades, including the "Silver Elephant" award, “Electronics Leader of the Year 2012,” and “Technovation Sarabhai Award 2015.”

Dr. Kumar’s appointment to the UPSC is expected to further strengthen the commission’s commitment to administrative excellence and innovation.