Preeti Sudan, a 1983 Batch IAS Officer, Appointed as New UPSC Chairperson.
Preeti Sudan has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), and she will assume office on August 1, 2024. Her appointment, sanctioned under Article 316A of the Indian Constitution, follows the resignation of former UPSC Chairperson Manoj Soni.
Sudan, a member of the UPSC since November 29, 2022, will serve as Chairperson until her retirement in April 2025, when she turns 65. The announcement was made in a formal letter from Additional Secretary Manoj Kumar Dwivedi to UPSC Secretary Shashi Ranjan Kumar, with the approval of President Droupadi Murmu.
“The Hon’ble President has also approved the appointment of Smt. Preeti Sudan, Member, UPSC, under clause (1) of Article 316 of the Constitution for performing the duties of Chairman, UPSC with effect from 1 August, 2024, till further orders or until 29.04.2025, whichever is earlier,” stated the appointment order.
Manoj Soni, who recently resigned, had been with the UPSC since 2017, first as a Member and then as Chairperson from May 16, 2023. His resignation, effective earlier this month, was nearly five years before his term was set to end in 2029, and it was cited as being for “personal reasons.”
Preeti Sudan brings nearly 37 years of experience in government administration to her new role. As Union Health Secretary from 2017 to July 2020, she played a pivotal role in the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during the final six months of her service.
Her career also includes significant positions within the ministries of Defense and Women and Child Development, as well as various roles in her home state of Andhra Pradesh, covering finance, planning, disaster management, tourism, and agriculture.
Additionally, Sudan has international experience, having served as a consultant for the World Bank, further enriching her credentials as she prepares to lead the UPSC.
