Indian Administrative Service officer Preeti Sudan has been appointed as the chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission, the Centre said, The Times of India reported on Wednesday.
The commission is a constitutional body that conducts the recruitment of officers to the All India Services and the Central Civil Services through examinations.
Sudan, who will take charge as the chairperson on Thursday, is a 1983 batch administrative service officer from the Karnataka cadre. Her tenure will be till April 2025.
She is currently a member of the commission.
The appointment of Sudan follows the resignation of Manoj Soni as the commission’s chairperson on July 4. The resignation came into effect on Wednesday.
On Monday, the Union government’s department of personnel and training informed the commission that President Droupadi Murmu had accepted Soni’s resignation.
Soni’s resignation came five years before his tenure was scheduled to end in 2029. The official, who is believed to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claimed that he quit the post in order to focus on “socio-religious activities”.
The resignation came amid a controversy surrounding the recruitment of trainee Indian Administrative Service officer Puja Khedkar. She is accused of forging documents to appear for the Civil Services Examination on 12 occasions, far above the number of permitted attempts.
However, The Hindu quoted unidentified sources as saying that Soni’s resignation was not related to the controversy.
On July 19, the Union Public Service Commission filed a complaint against Khedkar and issued a show cause notice asking her why her candidature in the Civil Services Examination should not be cancelled.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!