(News) Smt. Alka Sirohi appointed as new Chairman of UPSC

The President has appointed Smt. Alka Sirohi, Member, Union Public Service Commission to perform the duties of the post of Chairman, Union Public Service Commission, with effect from the September 21, 2016 (Forenoon). The appointment is till further orders or till completion of her term as Member on January 03, 2017, whichever is earlier.

The post of Chairman. UPSC will fall vacant on 20.09.2016, consequent upon demitting of office by Sh. Deepak Gupta on attaining 65 years of age.

About Smt. Alka Sirohi:

Smt. Alka Sirohi is presently a Member of the Union Public Service Commission, to which office she was sworn in January, 2012, after a long and successful career in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

After joining the IAS in 1974, Smt. Sirohi was assigned the Madhya Pradesh Cadre. She commenced her career as the Sub Divisional Magistrate, Hoshangabad, where she took up many challenges like rehabilitation of tribals displaced by a large industrial project, as also a massive flood relief operation. She served as Collector and District Magistrate in Dewas, and as Additional Secretary in various Departments such as Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Training, and Housing and Environment (which Charge she held along with that of Executive Director, Environmental Planning & Coordination Organization and Director General Disaster Management Institute). She has also served as Commissioner Higher Education and as the Development Commissioner in the State. She has been Secretary/Principal Secretary in the State Government over a span of 15 years, playing a key role in policy formulation in vital sectors of Governance like Agriculture, Cooperation and Command Area Development, Women and Child Development, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, Commercial Taxes, Health, Family Welfare, Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation, and Panchayat and Rural Development.

In Government of India, Smt. Sirohi has served in the Department of Defence Production and subsequently as Director General, Bureau of Indian Standards, and as Additional Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs, where she was closely associated with the designing of a multi media campaign for consumer awareness titled 'Jago Grahak Jago'. She has been Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution in Government of India, and Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training, which charge she held till January, 2012. During this period, she was closely associated with the drafting of several anti-corruption legislations.

Smt. Sirohi has a strong belief in welfare and innovation. During the course of her long career, she put into place a number of systems that ensured better service delivery and many of these were subsequently adopted in other states also. She has great interest in the Health Sector and took up a number of innovations in this area including the very successful Programme of universal immunization in her District in 1981, which aimed at coverage of all children below 5 years of age, against five vaccine preventable diseases, including polio. The Programme was highly successful and received national and international attention and accolade. The approach adopted then was subsequently adopted in the modern day national Pulse Polio Programme.

Smt. Alka Sirohi did her schooling at St. Mary's Convent, Nainital and thereafter studied at Loreto Degree College, Lucknow, and the Lucknow University. She has excelled in academics throughout her schooling and at the college. She was awarded six Gold Medals and the Parliament Prize by the University for all-round excellence. She has trained in Classical Hindustani Music. She also paints.

Courtesy: PIB & mdi.ac.in