Former defence secretary Ajay Kumar takes oath as UPSC chairman
New Delhi, Former Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar on Thursday took oath as the chairman of Union Public Service Commission .
The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Lt Gen Raj Shukla , the senior most member of the Commission, an official statement said.
The post of UPSC chairman fell vacant after the completion of Preeti Sudan's tenure on April 29.
The UPSC conducts civil services examinations to select officers for the Indian Administrative Service , Indian Foreign Service and the Indian Police Service , among others. Besides the chairman, it can have a maximum of 10 members.
At present, two posts of members are vacant in the commission.
A UPSC chairman is appointed for a term of six years or until attaining 65 years of age.
Kumar is 1985-batch former IAS officer of Kerala cadre.
During his illustrious career of more than 35 years, he has served in key positions in Kerala as well as at the Centre, said the statement issued by the Commission.
Some of his important assignments in the state were Managing Director, Electronics and Information Technology Department; Principal Secretary, Information Technology Department, it said.
At the Centre, Kumar held the significant portfolios of Director, Science & Technology; Joint Secretary, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology; Director General, National Informatics Centre; Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology; Secretary, Defence Production, the statement said.
In his last assignment, he served as Secretary, Ministry of Defence.
After completing his Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Kumar did his Master of Science in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota, US and PhD in Business Administration from Carlson School of Management from the same university, the statement said.
He has been instrumental in introducing several e-governance initiatives such as "Jeevan Pramaan" ; myGov, Pragati ; Bio-metric Attendance System; OPD registration system in AIIMS; "Cloud First" policy for government for using cloud service providers, etc, it added.
Kumar has several publications to his credit in various national and international journals.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Flex-fuel drive: Ministry seeks lower GST on crude ethanol
NEW DELHI: At a time when the Centre and states are discussing the rationalisation of the GST structure, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari sought a reduction in the levy on crude ethanol from 18% to 5% to encourage the manufacturing and sale of flex-fuel vehicles. At present, GST on ethanol used for blending with petrol under the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme is 5%. Sources said Gadkari suggested parity in the GST rate for both crude ethanol and the green fuel used for blending in petrol. Currently, around 400 fuel pumps sell 100% ethanol, but demand remains muted. 'Why will people go for these vehicles if the price of crude ethanol is equal to or more than that of petrol? Hence there is a need to bring down the GST rate,' a source said. The suggestion for lower taxes comes at a time when the Centre has taken up a holistic review of the GST structure, instead of limiting it to a select set of goods and services such as life and health insurance. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and a team of officials at the Centre are looking at the issue in detail before they present the proposals and seek to evolve a consensus. At least two groups of ministers comprising representatives from the states were set up, but the suggestions made by them were not seen to be complete. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Device Made My Power Bill Drop Overnight elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Pre-Order Undo A third group of ministers is tackling the issues of cesses as the compensation cess is due to end in March. While there is reluctance from state finance ministers to tinker with the four slabs of 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28%, there is growing demand from industry that rationalisation is the need of the hour given that there are several items on which classification concerns have emerged since the regime kicked in eight years ago. Besides, the structure is such that almost two-thirds of the collections come from the 18% slab, although a majority of the items are in the 5% bracket, which yields very little revenue. In the past, there have been discussions around merging the 12% and 18% slabs and putting items in these two brackets at 15-16%. While it will result in some revenue loss, there could also be a political challenge given that items in the 12% bracket will see a higher levy. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Centre in favour of popular government: Biren
Former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday said that Union home minister Amit Shah is keen on restoring a new popular government in the state that has been marred by ethnic violence for the last two years. Singh gave details of meetings with the Union home minister held on Monday and Tuesday, amid fresh tension in the state, which was attended by Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba and other central leaders. 'We apprised the Union Home Minister of the worsening situation in Manipur,' Biren told reporters at Bir Tikendrajit International Airport in Imphal. 'We met him on Monday night from around 11pm to 1am, and again on Tuesday afternoon from 3.15pm to 4pm.' 'I also apprised him (Shah) of the people's desire for a popular government in the state. Shah said the central government also wants the same and will soon consider it after examining the situation,' the former CM said. The meeting came days after fresh violence broke out in the state following reports of arrests of five members of Arambai Tenggol, a Meitei group, which prompted the state administration to impose restrictions and suspend internet connectivity in the state which has been under President's Rule since February 13. The former CM said the delegation emphasized the ongoing blockades, public unrest, and the sensitive ethnic and communal tensions in the state. He said that Shah is holding multiple rounds of dialogue with various communities to address the crisis. 'Our state's issues have become complex and highly sensitive as they have escalated to a community level,' Biren said. 'The Union Home Minister has appealed to all communities to maintain peace, which is essential for progress.' Biren further quoted Shah as saying that the Centre is committed to maintaining Manipur's territorial integrity and is making every effort to restore peace. Shah also urged the people to cooperate with these efforts. 'He (Amit Shah) has given us some groundwork responsibilities, which I cannot disclose at the moment,' Biren added. 'However, civil bodies, MLAs, and the public must take a unanimous stand to resolve the ongoing violence in Manipur.' He also mentioned that during the meetings, the delegation requested an extension of 30 days for the detection of illegal immigrants. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in the ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023. The Centre had on February 13 imposed the President's rule in Manipur after Biren Singh resigned as the chief minister. The state assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Will implement Centre's schemes in Delhi: Shivraj Singh Chouhan to farmers
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Wednesday met farmers from different parts of Delhi in Tigipur village and assured them that all of the Centre's agricultural welfare schemes will be implemented in the Capital soon. Addressing a gathering of farmers from the city's rural belts, Chouhan said, 'Delhi's farmers were left out of the central government's schemes earlier due to the previous government. The state government has to send us a proposal… I have spoken to the Chief Minister, and she will soon send a proposal to ensure these are rolled out.' Chouhan is on the last leg of his 15-day programme, Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, under which he has travelled to 14 states already and is interacting with farmers directly. 'There is great demand for fruits and vegetables in Delhi. If agriculture is strengthened here, it will not just benefit the city but also ensure India's economy grows — because even today, half our population is dependent on farming,' he said. Farmers present at the event raised several concerns, including high electricity costs, lack of subsidies, and no retail outlets for fertilisers. 'We don't get any subsidy. And if there is, the process is too complicated to understand,' said a farmer. Another noted that tractors with Delhi registration numbers are charged commercial tax, which increases their input cost, so farmers have to purchase tractors from neighbouring Haryana. A mushroom farmer from Tigipur, cultivating on just two acres, said he spends Rs 40 lakh a year and makes Rs 10-15 lakh in profit by selling directly to Azadpur mandi and contracting with factories. A strawberry grower, with 10 acres under cultivation, said he earns Rs 12-13 lakh per acre. 'We plant strawberries in October and inter-crop it with sweet corn and capsicum later. We sell to Reliance, BigBasket and local mandis,' he said. 'There are some farmers who are doing very well and earning a lot. We also need to learn their best practices' Chouhan said at the chaupal. The cost of inputs remains a problem for farmers of the national capital. 'Agriculture doesn't exist in Delhi for the government. So, our electricity is charged at commercial rates, which is extremely high,' said another farmer. 'There is also no IFFCO shop in Delhi from where we can buy fertilisers,' another said. Chouhan said the government is planning to adopt a 'One Nation, One Farm, One Team' approach. 'Policies must not be made sitting in offices. The agriculture department, research scientists, and agricultural universities must go to villages and speak to farmers. Only then can we find solutions together,' he added. Devansh Mittal is a trainee correspondent with The Indian Express. He studied political science at Ashoka University. He can be reached at ... Read More
