Preeti Sudan Appointed as UPSC Chairperson

New Delhi: Former Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Sudan, a member of the UPSC, will assume her new role on August 1, 2024.

Her appointment, which has been authorized under Article 316A of the Indian Constitution, follows the resignation of the former UPSC Chairperson, Manoj Soni. Ms. Preeti Sudan, an IAS officer of the 1983 batch from the Andhra Pradesh cadre, will take over charge from Manoj Soni who recently resigned. She will have tenure till April 2025.

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“The President has… approved the appointment of Preeti Sudan, Member, UPSC for performing the duties of Chairman, UPSC with effect from August 1, 2024, till further orders or till April 29, 2025, whichever is earlier,” the order dated July 29 said, reports PTI.

Ms. Preeti Sudan has vast experience of nearly 37 years in almost all spheres of Government Administration. In her last stint as Union Health Secretary for three years, especially the last six months, she handled the COVID-19 pandemic. She joined as Member, Union Public Service Commission on 29.11.2022.

Sudan, who retired as Union Health Secretary in July 2020, also served as Secretary in the Food & Public Distribution Department, and in the Ministry of Women & Child Development and Defence. She initiated two major flagship programmes of the country, i.e., 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' and 'Ayushman Bharat', apart from Legislation on the National Medical Commission, Allied Health Professionals Commission & ban on E-cigarettes. She had also served as a Consultant with the World Bank.

• Chair of COP-8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
• Vice Chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
• Chair of Global Digital Health Partnership
• Member of WHO's Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response

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