New Delhi: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the country’s premier body that recruits officers for All India services and Central Civil Services by holding various examinations and interviews, is currently functioning without a chairperson.

UPSC chairperson, Preeti Sudan, retired from her post this past April 29. However, the government is yet to appoint her successor.

UPSC chairperson is appointed by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the concerned minister, Jitendra Singh is its minister of state.

In July 2024, Sudan, then serving as union health secretary, was appointed the UPSC chairperson after the then incumbent, Manoj Soni, resigned “for personal reasons” following a huge controversy around an IAS probationer Puja Khedkar allowed by the Commission to appear as many as nine attempts to clear her examination and fake disability certificates accepted from her to qualify for extra appearances in examinations.

Soni, who had joined the Commission as a member in 2017, was appointed its chairman in May 2023 and was set to be on the post till May 2029.

Preeti Sudan's predecessor was closely linked to BJP and RSS

Soni, said to be one of prime minister Narendra Modi’s speechwriters when he was the Gujarat chief minister, is closely linked to ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and is also linked to the Swaminarayan sect in Gujarat. Soni was also made the vice chancellor of Vadodara’s MS University by the Gujarat government prior to his appointment at the UPSC.

Sources at the Commission has told The Wire that it has been three days since Sudan’s retirement but the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions is yet to name her successor.

Sources said, in a fresh development, this past  April 29, coinciding with Sudan’s retirement, “union sports secretary Sujata Chaturvedi has been dispatched to UPSC as a member.” Chaturvedi, an IAS officer  of 1989 batch, “was two months short of retirement,” sources added.

UPSC members usually serve a tenure of six years or till the age of 65 whichever is earlier. Currently, there are six members in the Commission. UPSC can have a maximum of ten members besides the chairperson.

The Wire was not successful in reaching out to Rachna Shah, secretary (personnel) at the ministry, even after repeated attempts. A mail has been sent to Shah asking about the delay in announcing the name of the next UPSC chairperson. If any response is received, it will be added here.

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