Upon the resignation of Manoj Soni, the ex-chairperson of the UPSC, Preeti Sudan has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission. She is set to take the office on August 1. Her appointment as the new chairman has been sanctioned under Article 316A of the Indian constitution.
Preeti Sudan To Begin Service On August 1, Will Retire In April 2025
IAS officer Preeti Sudan has been a member of the UPSC since November 29, 2022. She will serve as the chairperson until her retirement in April of next year, upon reaching the age of 65 years. The declaration of her appointment as the new chairman was shared through a formal letter to UPSC Secretary Shashi Ranjan Kumar from Additional Secretary Manoj Kumar Dwivedi following the approval of President Droupadi Murmu.
President Droupadi Murmu Approves Sudan’s Appointment
The appointment order announced that the Hon’ble President has approved the appointment of Smt. Preeti Sudan, Member, UPSC, under Article 316 of the Indian Constitution for performing the duties of the chairperson of the UPSC, with effect from August 1, 2024, till further orders until April 29, 2025. The person chairperson Manoj Soni has been with the UPSC since 2017. He first served as a member and then a chairman starting from May 16, 2023. His resignation came five years before the scheduled end of his term in 2029. Soni’s early resignation is cited as being for ‘personal reasons’.
Sudan’s Enriching Experience As Union Health Secretary
Preeti Sudan’s appointment comes with a lot of experience, as she has been in the administration for 37 years. Sudan has also served as the Union Health Secretary, from year 2017 till July 2020. She has played a pivotal role in national cooperation in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically in the last six years of her service as the Union Health Secretary.
Preeti Sudan’s Wide Experience Of 37 Years
Sudan has also acquired significant positions within the ministries of Defence and Women and Child Development. Furthermore, she has had roles in her home state Cadre of Andhra Pradesh where she covers areas of finance agriculture, planning, disaster management, and tourism. On an international level, Sudan has worked as a consultant for the World Bank. All of her working experience enriches her credentials as she prepares to take the chairman’s position in the UPSC.