Who is Preeti Sudan who was Appointed as the New Chairman of UPSC

Preeti Sudan, a former union health secretary, has been named the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) chairwoman. The job will be under the leadership of UPSC member Preeti Sudan starting on Thursday, 1st August 2024.

Manoj Soni, who resigned earlier this month citing “personal reasons” prior to the conclusion of his term, will be replaced by Preeti Sudan.

Who is Preeti Sudan?

• Preeti Sudan is an Andhra Pradesh cadre 1983 batch IAS officer. She has worked in almost every area of government administration for close to 37 years.
• She received training in public finance management in Washington and holds degrees in both Economics and Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics.
• Sudan served as the union’s health secretary from July 2020 for a period of three years. Sudan has been the main tactician throughout the Covid-19 pandemic during her tenure. Sudan held the position of secretary for the Department of Food and Public Distribution before this. She has also held positions in the ministries of defense, women and child development, finance and planning, disaster management, and tourism and agriculture.
• She used to work for the World Bank as a consultant. Chair of the Global Digital Health Partnership, Vice Chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health, Chair of COP-8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and Member of the WHO’s Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response are just a few of the positions where Sudan has held leadership positions.
• Initiating Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Ayushman Bharat, outlawing e-cigarettes, and passing laws establishing a national medical commission are just a few of the noteworthy initiatives she has helped to launch.