Civil Servant With R&AW Past, Arvind Saxena, Appointed UPSC Chairman

The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on Thursday (29 November) announced the swearing in of senior civil servant Arvind Saxena as the new Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), following a government order issued on Wednesday (28 November), reports Times of India.

The term of his appointment will run through either till 7 August 2020 when he reaches the age of 65 years, or till further orders from the government, whichever is earlier.

Saxena has been a member of the UPSC since 8 May 2015 and has been acting chairman of the commission since 20 June 2018. Pradeep Kumar Joshi, the senior-most member of the commission, administered the oath of office and secrecy to him.

A civil engineering graduate from the Delhi College of Engineering, Saxena also holds an M Tech in systems management from IIT Delhi. Saxena had cleared the civil services exam and joined the Indian Postal Services in 1978.

He later joined the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), specialising in strategic developments in neighbouring countries in South Asia. Saxena has also been the recipient of the awards for Meritorious Services (2005) and Distinguished Services (2012), which were presented to him for his distinguished track record in R&AW.