UPSC's new Chairperson Ajay Kumar: BTech from IIT-Kanpur to PhD in US – a look at his educational journey
Dr Ajay Kumar is appointed as the new UPSC chairperson. He succeeds Preeti Sudan, whose tenure ended on April 29, 2025. Before her, Manoj Soni briefly held the position but resigned in June 2024 due to personal reasons.
Dr Ajay Kumar, a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, has served as India's Defence Secretary from August 23, 2019, to October 31, 2022, before being appointed as the UPSC chairperson. According to reports, during his tenure, he played a key role in major defence reforms, including the Agniveer recruitment scheme, the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff, and the corporatisation of ordnance factories.
Ajay Kumar began his academic journey at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, where he earned his BTech in Electrical Engineering. Notably, IIT Kanpur is ranked 278 globally, as per the QS World University Rankings 2024. Additionally, the premier engineering institute holds the 5th spot in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 among engineering colleges in India.
Post his undergraduate education, Kumar pursued higher studies in the United States. He earned a Master's degree in Development Economics, followed by a PhD in Business Administration from the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota.
The University of Minnesota is placed within the 150–200 band in the QS World Rankings 2024, and its business school is globally respected for research and policy-oriented studies.
Over nearly four decades in service, Dr Kumar has held key roles including Defence Secretary of India. He played a central role in launching innovations like iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) and in integrating private startups with India's defence ecosystem. He also served in senior roles in the Ministry of Electronics and IT previously.
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