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Dr. Ajay Kumar is the current UPSC Chairman and took over as the Chairman of UPSC in May 2025.
Who is the founder of UPSC?
The recommendations of the Lee Commission recommended that 40% of recruits should be British, 40% should be directly recruited Indians, and the remaining 20% should be Indians promoted from provincial services. Consequently, the first Public Service Commission was established on October 1, 1926, with Sir Ross Baker as its Chairman.
Who is the first woman chairman of UPSC?
Rose Millian Bathew (Kharbuli) was the first Indian female chairperson of the UPSC. She served in this role from September 23, 1992, to August 23, 1996.
Who removes the chairman of UPSC?
The President of India can remove the UPSC Chairman. The appointment of UPSC Chairman is also done by the President of India.
Who is the father of IAS?
Lord Cornwallis, or Charles Cornwallis, who was a British Army general, first introduced Civil Services in India and hence is known as the Father of IAS or Father of Civil Services in India.
List of UPSC Chairman 1926 to 2025, Tenure, Appointment and Salary
Dr. Ajay Kumar is the current UPSC Chairman till October 2027. He is a retired 1985-batch IAS officer and the former Defence Secretary of India. Check the UPSC Chairman List 1926 to 2025 Here.
Anil Solonki2 Jun, 2025
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UPSC Chairman is the head of the Union Public Service Commission of India. Dr. Ajay Kumaris the current UPSC Chairman after replacing Mrs. Preeti Sudanafter her retirement on April 29, 2025. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is India's foremost central recruitment agency, appointing all Group 'A' officers within the government of India.
Dr. Ajay Kumar will be UPSC Chairperson until his retirement in October 2027. Read on for list, tenure, salary, and appointmentprocess of the UPSC Chairman in India.
UPSC Chairman 2025
UPSC Chairperson heads this constitutional organisation and is appointed according to the provisions of the Article 316 of the Indian Constitution. The following table contains the complete overview of UPSC Chairman:
UPSC Chairman Overview
Appointed by
President of India
Tenure of UPSC Chairman
6 years (or 65 years)
Eligibility of UPSC Chairman
An Experience of at least 10 years in the Central or State services
Salary of UPSC Chairman
₹30 lakhs per annum
Current UPSC Chairman
Dr. Ajay Kumar
First Chairman
Sir Ross Barker (1926)
First Indian UPSC Chairman
H. K. Kripalani (1947)
First Female UPSC Chairman
Rose Millian Bathew (Kharbuli) (1992)
Current UPSC Chairman 2025
Dr. Ajay Kumar, a distinguished retired 1985-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre and former Defence Secretary of India, has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). His appointment has been approved by President Droupadi Murmu and notified by the Union Personnel Ministry. An alumnus of IIT Kanpur, Dr. Kumar holds a PhD in Business Administration and an MS in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota.
His tenure as Defence Secretary from August 2019 to October 2022 saw transformative reforms, including the institutionalization of the Chief of Defence Staff, the Agniveer recruitment scheme, and corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board. He also contributed to the Digital India mission during his tenure in the Ministry of Electronics and IT. Dr. Kumar succeeds Preeti Sudan and is expected to serve as UPSC Chairman until October 2027, leading the body responsible for conducting India’s premier civil services examinations.
UPSC Chairman Pre-Independence: Federal Public Service Commission
The establishment of the initial Public Service Commission occurred on October 1, 1926, led by Sir Ross Barker. Initially, the Public Service Commission was endowed with a restricted advisory role . However, due to persistent emphasis by leaders of the independence movement on this issue, it led to the establishment of a Federal Public Service Commission under the Government of India Act 1935 .
First UPSC Chairman (Post Independence)
K. Kripalani was the chairman of UPSC post Independence. He was also the first Indian Chairman of the Commission since its establishment in 1926,
Following independence, the Federal Public Service Commission underwent a transformation into the Union Public Service Commission.
On 26 January 1950, it was accorded constitutional recognition under the Constitution of India.
First Woman UPSC Chairman
Rose Millian Bathew (Kharbuli) was the first Indian woman to serve as the UPSC chairman. She served as the UPSC Chairman from 23rd September, 1992 to 23rd August, 1996.
List of UPSC Chairman (1926-2025)
The table below contains the complete list of UPSC Chairman:
List of UPSC Chairman (1926-2025)
S. No.
UPSC Chairman
Tenure
From
To
1
Sir Ross Barker
October 1926
August 1932
2
Sir David Petrie
August 1932
1936
3
Sir Eyre Gorden
1937
1942
4
Sir F. W. Robertson
1942
1947
5
H. K. Kripalani
1 April 1947
13 January 1949
6
R. N. Banerjee
14 January 1949
9 May 1955
7
N. Govindarajan
10 May 1955
9 December 1955
8
V. S. Hejmadi
10 December 1955
9 December 1961
9
B. N. Jha
11 December 1961
22 February 1967
10
Sh. K.R. Damle
18 April 1967
2 March 1971
11
Ranadhir Chandra Sarma Sarkar
11 May 1971
1 February 1973
12
Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai
5 February 1973
4 February 1979
13
M. L. Shahare
16 February 1979
16 February 1985
14
H. K. L. Capoor
18 February 1985
5 March 1990
15
J. P. Gupta
5 March 1990
2 June 1992
16
Rose Millian Bathew (Kharbuli)
23 September 1992
23 August 1996
17
S. J. S. Chhatwal
23 August 1996
30 September 1996
18
J. M. Qureshi
30 September 1996
11 December 1998
19
Surendra Nath
11 December 1998
25 June 2002
20
Purna Chandra Hota
25 June 2002
September 2003
21
Mata Prasad
September 2003
January 2005
22
S. R. Hashim
4 January 2005
1 April 2006
23
Gurbachan Jagat
1 April 2006
30 June 2007
24
Subir Dutta
30 June 2007
16 August 2008
25
D. P. Agrawal
16 August 2008
August 2014
26
Rajni Razdan
16 August 2014
21 November 2014
27
Deepak Gupta
22 November 2014
20 September 2016
28
Alka Sirohi
21 September 2016
3 January 2017
29
David R. Syiemlieh
4 January 2017
21 January 2018
30
Vinay Mittal
22 January 2018
19 June 2018
31
Arvind Saxena ( acting )
20 June 2018
28 November 2018
32
Arvind Saxena
28 November 2018
6 August 2020
33
Pradeep Kumar Joshi
7 August 2020
4 April 2022
34
Dr. Manoj Soni( acting )
5 April 2022
16 May 2023
35
Dr. Manoj Soni
16 May 2023
July 2024
36
Preeti Sudan
01 August 2024
29 April 2025
37
Dr. Ajay Kumar
May 2025
October 2027
What is the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)?
The Union Public Service Commission, a constitutional entity in India, is responsible for the direct recruitment of officers to All India Services and Central Civil Services (Groups A and B) through examinations. UPSC also appoints officers to various government services under the purview of the Government of India. The management of personnel falls under the Department of Personnel and Training. The UPSC is headquartered in Dholpur House, New Delhi, and operates with its own administrative body. Originally founded on October 1, 1926, as the Public Service Commission, it underwent restructuring as the Federal Public Service Commission according to the Government of India Act 1935. Following independence, it was renamed the Union Public Service Commission.
Salary of UPSC Chairman
The Salary of UPSC Chairman is ₹30 lakhs per annum. Following the approval of a salary increase in accordance with the Seventh Pay Commission's recommendations for the Bureau of Indian Standards, the UPSC chairperson received a substantial threefold raise in salary. With the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission's recommendations, the UPSC chairperson now earns Rs 2.5 lakh per month, whereas other members receive Rs 2.25 lakh per month. Prior to this, the UPSC chairperson's monthly salary was Rs 90,000.
Tenure of UPSC Chairman
The Chairman of the UPSC serves a term lasting six years or until reaching the age of 65, whichever comes first.
Qualification of UPSC Chairman
No specific qualification is mentioned in the constitution of India for the Chairman and its members, but it mandates that 50% of the members of U.P.S.C. should be the ones who have held government office for at least 10 years.
Powers and Functions of UPSC Chairman and UPSC
According to Article 320 of the Constitution of India, the UPSC must be consulted on various matters concerning the recruitment to civil services and posts. The responsibilities of the UPSC and its Chairman under this article include:
Organising examinations for selecting candidates for Union services.
Carrying out direct recruitment through interviews.
Appointing officers through promotion, deputation, or absorption.
Formulating and revising Recruitment Rules for different government services and positions.
Handling disciplinary matters pertaining to various Civil Services.
Providing advice to the Government on any issue referred to the UPSC Members by the President of India.
UPSC Members Overview
The table below contains an overview of the UPSC Members:
UPSC Members Overview
Number of Members
10 (And the Chairman who is the Head)
Term/Tenure
6 years (or 65 years)
Salary
₹ 27,00,000 per annum
Eligibility
An Experience of at least 10 years in the Central or State services
Current UPSC Members list
Currently, there are only 7 members of UPSC, 3 less than its actual strength. The table below contains the names of UPSC Members, their respective services, and their current positions:
UPSC Members list
S. No.
Name
Service
Position
1
Preeti Sudan
IAS
New Chairman
2
Lieutenant General Raj Shukla (Retd)
Indian Army
Member
3
Suman Sharma
IRS
Member
4
Bidyut Bihari Swain
IAS
Member
5
Sanjay Verma
IFS
Member
6
Dr. Dinesh Dasa
Academician
Member
7
Sheel Vardhan Singh
IPS
Member
Important Functions and Responsibilities of the UPSC Chairman
UPSC Chairman's functions highlight the critical role of the UPSC Chairman in shaping the recruitment landscape for civil services in India and maintaining the integrity of the selection process.
Conducting Examinations: The UPSC Chairman oversees the organization of various competitive examinations for recruitment to civil services and positions under the Government of India.
Direct Recruitment: The Chairman is responsible for carrying out direct recruitment through interviews, ensuring that qualified candidates are selected for civil service roles.
Promotion and Deputation: The UPSC Chairman plays a key role in appointing officers through promotion, deputation, or absorption, facilitating career progression within the civil services.
Recruitment Rules Formulation: The Chairman formulates and revises the recruitment rules for different government services, maintaining up-to-date standards and practices.
Disciplinary Matters: Handling disciplinary matters related to various civil services is part of the Chairman's responsibilities, ensuring that officers adhere to the established code of conduct.
Government Advisory Role: The Chairman provides advice to the Government of India on matters referred by the President, contributing to effective governance and policy-making.
Membership Oversight: The Chairman leads the commission, which consists of a team of members, ensuring collaborative decision-making and strategic direction.
