NEW CHAIRPERSON OF UPSC

President Pranab Mukherjee confirmed appointment of the 64-year old Rajni Razdan as the new chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Friday which conducts prestigious civil services examination for selection of IAS, IFS, IPS and other officers, with effect from August, 16. She succeeds controversial D P Agrawal who had refused to toe the government line on the students’ demand to change the pattern of the civil service examination. She is said to be a pliant officer as against Prof. Agrawal refusing to be “submissive” to the government on the ground that UPSC is an autonomous body that cannot be dictated by the government at will.

Razdan, a retired IAS officer of Haryana cadre, has been an UPSC member since April 2010. Her tenure will last only one year as the age limit of the UPSC chairman and member is 65.

She had retired as Secretary Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances, and among the posts she held at the Centre included additional secretary in the Ministry of Personnel.