Professor Pradeep Kumar Joshi succeeds Arvind Saxena appointed as UPSC chairman 

The UPSC is a central agency that has a great responsibility for conducting examinations pertaining to Civil Services, Engineering Services, Defence Services, and Medical Services. It also conducts Economic Service, Statistical Service, and Police Forces examination.

 Professor (Dr.) Pradeep Kumar Joshi is a current member of the Union Public Service Commission. Prior to this, he served as Chairman, Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission, and also Chairman, Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission. He also served as Director, National Institute of Educational Planning & Administration (NIEPA), [Ministry of HRD, Government of India].

The position of Director has been changed to Vice-Chancellor & NIEPA has been changed to NUEPA (National University of Educational Planning & Administration). Prof. Joshi did his Post Graduate Degree in Commerce in 1977 and Ph.D. Degree in Commerce in 1981 from Kanpur University, Kanpur. Professor Joshi has been in the field of education for more than 28 years.

He served as the Professor, Head & Dean, Faculty of Management Studies, Rani Durgavati University, Jabalpur (MP) from May 2000 to 12th June 2006. He also served as the Chairman, Board of Studies and Chairman, R.D.C. in Business Administration, Rani Durgavati University, Jabalpur (MP) during that period (till June 2006). Prior to that, he served the Department of Business Administration, Rohilkhand University, Bareilly (UP), and Bareilly College, Bareilly (UP) as Reader. 

Professor Joshi has held several administrative positions during his tenure as an Educator. He has been the Member of various National and State Level Committees under the Government of India. He was the Member at State Level Committee for the Commemoration of 50th Anniversary of the Indian Republic in Ministry of Culture, Government of India; Former Member, Steering Committee Commission for Reform in Education under the Ministry of HRD, Government of India; Former Member Steering Committee-cum-clearing House for Distance Education under the Ministry of HRD, Government of India; Former Member, National Resource Group for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan [SSA], Ministry of HRD, Government of India; Former Member, Teacher Education Approval Board, Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India; Former Member, Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) – this is the highest advisory body to advise the Central and State Governments in the field of education.

Professor Joshi has been an eminent researcher and educationist having more than 28 years of teaching experience. He specialized in the field of Financial Management, Financial Control, Management Accounting, Taxation, Rural Development Management, Management in Panchayati Raj Institution & Khadi Gramodyog etc. He has published and presented research papers in several national and international conferences and seminars.

Being an active educationist, he has delivered lectures and had academic interactions in various foreign countries like Belgium, Holland, England, Nepal, and Japan. He has supervised 19 scholars for their Ph.D. Degree and around 24 Dissertations have been submitted under his guidance. Professor Joshi joined as Member, UPSC on May 12, 2015. 

President of India appoints the UPSC chairman :

The Commission consists of a chairman and other members appointed by The President of India. Usually, the Commission consists of 9 to 11 members including the chairman. Every member holds office for a term of six years or until he attains the age of sixty-five years, whichever is earlier.

Qualifications – According to article 316, it is mentioned that at least one-half of the members of UPSC shall be the persons who have held office for at least 10 years either under Government of India or Government of a State. But it has not specified any qualifications for other half members of UPSC.

Tenure - until he attains 65 years. The duty of the Union Public Service Commission will be to conduct examinations for appointments to the services of the Union. Art. 320 of the constitution of India has categorically calculated the functions of the Union Public Service Commission (Tummala, 1994).

a) Foremost function of Union Public Service Commission is to advocate for appointment in administrative services the meritorious and potential young men and women after selecting them through All India competitive examinations.

b) Another function of U.P.S.C. is to assists them in framing and operating schemes of joint recruitment for any service for which candidates possessing special qualifications.

c) Union Public Service Commission advises the President on “all matters relating to methods of recruitment to civil services and for civil posts.

d) Principles to be followed in making appointments to civil services and posts and in making promotions and transfers from the service to another and on the suitability of candidates for such appointments promotions or transfer.

e) Next function is to look at all disciplinary matters affecting a person serving under the Government of India or the Government of a State in a civil capacity, including memorials or petitions relating to such matters.

The Commission has recently undertaken a project called “SAMARA” (Screening and Mechanised Processing of Examination and Recruitment Applications). A simplified single sheet common application form for all the examinations has been devised which will be scanned by using OMR/ICR technology.