BharatNotes Dr. Ajay Kumar, a retired 1985-batch IAS officer (Kerala cadre) and former Defence Secretary, was appointed UPSC Chairman on 13 May 2025.
Dr. Ajay Kumar is the current Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission. He was appointed by President Droupadi Murmu on 13 May 2025 and assumed charge on 15 May 2025 (PIB press release PRID 2128817).
Dr. Ajay Kumar: Full Profile
Academic Background:
- B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kanpur — making him one of the very few UPSC Chairmen with an IIT engineering background
- M.S. in Applied Economics — University of Minnesota, USA
- Ph.D. in Business Administration — Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, USA
This combination of engineering, economics, and management doctoral training is unusual in the IAS cadre and reflects a techno-administrative profile that shaped Dr. Kumar's entire career trajectory.
IAS Career (Kerala Cadre, 1985 Batch):
| Period | Role |
|---|---|
| 1985–2019 | Various field and secretariat positions in Kerala and Central Government |
| Senior role, MeitY | Drove the Digital India programme — UPI, Aadhaar, MyGov.in, Government e-Marketplace (GeM), Jeevan Pramaan |
| 2019–2022 | Defence Secretary of India (38th person to hold the post) |
| 2025–present | Chairman, Union Public Service Commission |
Key Contributions as Defence Secretary (2019–2022):
- Oversaw Defence Production Policy 2020 — set a landmark target of ₹1.75 lakh crore in defence production by 2025, with export ambitions of ₹35,000 crore
- Drove the Atmanirbhar Bharat push in defence manufacturing — negative import lists, domestic procurement preference, and Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020
- Drove the corporatisation of the Ordnance Factories Board — converting 41 ordnance factories into seven new Defence Public Sector Undertakings
- Supported the establishment of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) post in December 2019 — the most significant structural reform in India's military command architecture in decades
- Oversaw the design and launch of the Agniveer scheme (Tour of Duty model for short-term military recruitment, 2022)
Post-Retirement (Before UPSC Chairmanship):
- Founded MGF-Kavachh, a SEBI-approved ₹250 crore venture capital fund for defence, aerospace, and deep-tech startups — applying his defence ministry experience to the startup ecosystem
- Distinguished Visiting Professor at IIT Kanpur — his alma mater
- Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Carnegie India — contributing to strategic and policy research
Constitutional Basis for Appointment
Article 316 of the Constitution provides that the Chairman and Members of UPSC are appointed by the President of India. At least half the Members must have held office for at least 10 years under the Government of India or a State Government. The appointment is made without parliamentary confirmation — it is a presidential prerogative exercised on the advice of the Council of Ministers.
Tenure: Six years from the date of assumption of charge, or until age 65, whichever is earlier. Dr. Ajay Kumar (born approximately 1962, 1985-batch) is expected to serve until approximately 2027–2028.
Re-appointment: Expressly prohibited by Article 316 — a sitting Chairman or Member cannot be re-appointed to that position after their term ends. This prevents political bargaining over renewal.
Post-retirement restriction (Article 319): On ceasing to be Chairman, the person cannot hold any further office of profit under the Government of India or any State Government. This restriction is designed to prevent the Chairman from making favourable decisions during tenure in anticipation of post-retirement appointments.
Removal: Article 317 — A Two-Step Constitutional Process
The removal procedure for the UPSC Chairman is one of the strongest safeguards of independence in the Indian Constitution:
- President refers the matter to the Supreme Court on grounds of misbehaviour
- Supreme Court conducts an inquiry under its own procedure (Article 145)
- Supreme Court reports whether the Chairman ought to be removed
- Only then may the President act on the Supreme Court's recommendation
The President may suspend the Chairman pending the Supreme Court inquiry. Additional grounds for removal include proven incapacity due to infirmity of mind or body — in which case the Supreme Court inquiry is not required.
This two-step (President → Supreme Court → President) mechanism means no government can summarily remove a UPSC Chairman for political reasons. It is structurally stronger than the removal protection for many other constitutional offices.
Recent Chairpersons: Continuity and Context
| Name | Tenure | Background | Notable Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Manoj Soni | 16 May 2023 – 31 Jul 2024 | Professor; Vice Chancellor, MSU Baroda; educationist | Resigned 5 years before term end, citing personal/spiritual reasons; tenure coincided with the Puja Khedkar controversy |
| Preeti Sudan | 1 Aug 2024 – Apr 2025 | 1983-batch IAS (AP cadre); former Union Health Secretary | Second woman to lead UPSC; took charge during a period of institutional scrutiny; managed CSE 2024 interview cycle |
| Dr. Ajay Kumar | 15 May 2025 – present | 1985-batch IAS (Kerala cadre); former Defence Secretary; IIT Kanpur + Univ. of Minnesota | First UPSC Chairman with IIT engineering + US doctoral background; oversaw CSE 2025 interviews |
UPSC Exam Angle
For the Personality Test, knowing the Chairman's background is relevant for two reasons: (1) the Chairman sets the institutional culture and tone for how boards operate during their tenure — Dr. Ajay Kumar's techno-administrative background signals possible emphasis on science-policy, defence manufacturing, and digital governance; (2) questions on defence self-reliance, Digital India infrastructure, and technology policy are areas Dr. Kumar has personally shaped at the national level. This is not a prediction of specific questions — board assignment is random and boards operate independently — but informed awareness of the Chairman's domain expertise is useful contextual knowledge.
