Who is Ajay Kumar? Meet new UPSC Chairman known for his transformative defence reforms

Former defence secretary Ajay Kumar is the newly appointed chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), as per a notice issued by Department of Personnel and Training on May 13. This appointment comes after the tenure of the previous chairman expired. Notably, Ajay Kumar will succeed Preeti Sudan whose tenure was completed on April 29.

The appointment letter states, “The tenure of Dr Ajay Kumar as Chairman, will commence from the date he enters upon the office of Chairman, UPSC. The term of his appointment will be regulated in accordance with the provisions of Article 316(2) of the Constitution of India, and the conditions of service will be governed by UPSC (Members) Regulations, 1969, as amended from time to time.”

The order signed by Deputy Secretary Sushant Ranjan mentions that the appointment was cleared by President Droupadi Murmu.

All about new UPSC chairman Ajay Kumar

The new UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur, is a 1985-batch retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Kerala cadre. He secured a PhD in Business Administration and MS in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota. He served as defence secretary from August 23, 2019, to October 31, 2022.

One of the senior-most bureaucrats of India, who retired as defence secretary, is noted for his transformative defence reforms. He is credited with the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff, AtmaNirbhar Bharat initiatives, the Agniveer scheme, and corporatisation of Ordnance Factories.

He played a significant role in several of Digital India projects under PM Modi, while he served as top official in the ministry of electronics and IT. The longest-serving defence secretary is linked with implementation of UPI, Aadhaar, myGov, and Government e-Marketplace. He made landmark contributions in India’s electronics and mobile manufacturing industry as he framed the National Electronics Policy 2012.

Notably, Ajay Kumar play a key role while he worked with governments led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, and the Left. He held important positions and played critical role in both the government of India and the Kerala government, including as principal secretary and MD of KELTRON.