New Delhi [India], May 15: Former Defence Secretary Dr. Ajay Kumar officially assumed charge as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Thursday.
The oath of office was administered by Lt General Raj Shukla (Retd.), the senior-most Member of the Commission.
Dr. Kumar, a 1985-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Kerala cadre, has had an illustrious career spanning over 35 years, serving in key administrative roles both in the Kerala state government and at the Centre.
An alumnus of IIT Kanpur, where he earned a BTech in Electrical Engineering, Dr. Kumar further pursued an MS in Applied Economics and a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota, USA. He was also conferred an honorary Doctor of Philosophy by Amity University in 2019.
During his career, Dr. Kumar held several pivotal positions, including:
- Managing Director and Principal Secretary in the Information Technology Department, Government of Kerala
- Director, Department of Science and Technology
- Joint Secretary, Ministry of Communications and IT
- Director General, National Informatics Centre
- Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT
- Secretary, Department of Defence Production
- Secretary, Ministry of Defence (his last assignment before retirement)
Dr. Kumar is widely credited with pioneering numerous e-Governance initiatives, including:
- Jeevan Pramaan (digital life certificate for pensioners)
- myGov and PRAGATI (PM’s interactive governance platform)
- Biometric Attendance System
- Online OPD Registration System in AIIMS
- Government’s “Cloud First” policy
A prolific contributor to national and international journals, Dr. Kumar has also received several accolades such as:
- Silver Elephant medallion (National Scouts and Guides, 1994)
- Electronics Leader of the Year (2012) for promoting the electronics sector
- Technovation Sarabhai Award (2015) by the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association
- Champion of Change (2017) by the Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association
As UPSC Chairman, Dr. Ajay Kumar is expected to bring his technological expertise, administrative acumen, and strategic policy vision to India’s premier recruitment body.