In a twist that could only be described as a bureaucratic ballet, Preeti Sudan, a seasoned IAS officer from the 1983 batch, has pirouetted into the spotlight as the new chairperson of India's premier government recruitment body. The stage was set with the dramatic exit of Manoj Soni, who tendered his resignation to the President earlier this month, citing 'personal reasons'—a classic exit line in the theatre of administration. His departure left a vacancy that wasn't due until May 2029, making room for Sudan's unexpected debut.

Preeti Sudan, who had been serving as a member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and a former Union Health Secretary, was officially appointed following Soni's departure. The presidential order dated the performance to start on August 1, 2024. In this new role, she will not only wield the gavel but also follow in the footsteps of R M Bathew—the first woman to command this role back in the nostalgic nineties (1996, to be precise).

With the curtain rising on August 1, 2024, Sudan will begin her tenure, scheduled to run until April 29, 2025, or until the script sees a revision. It seems the corridors of power have their own casting calls, and this time, the role of UPSC chairperson has Sudan's name written all over it.

Second Woman to Head UPSC: A Triumph or Just Good Timing?

In the hallowed corridors of India's bureaucracy, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), established in the illustrious year of 1926, has long stood as the bastion of administrative recruitment, untouched by the whims of political puppetry—or so the story goes. As a constitutional body, its noble mission is to handpick the elite civil servants who will steer the governmental ship, ostensibly free from any political influence. After all, impartiality in recruitment is just as important as a good cup of chai in the morning—essential but often underappreciated.

Beyond the glamorous job of gatekeeping India’s bureaucratic entry points, the UPSC also dispenses advice like a wise old sage. From who gets promoted and who gets the boot, to the fine art of civil service discipline—think of it as the HR department, but with more power and probably better tea.

Enter Manoj Soni, the man of the hour in 2017, and shortly thereafter the chairperson on May 16, 2023. His ascent to the throne was watched with hopeful eyes, as many wondered if he would bring change, stability, or just a new portrait in the office. His reign, marked by the pursuit of maintaining the UPSC's sterling reputation of independence, was as brief as it was bureaucratically vibrant.

Who is Preeti Sudan? A Bureaucratic Journey to UPSC Chairperson

Meet Preeti Sudan, a 1983-batch IAS officer from the Andhra Pradesh cadre, whose resume reads like a bureaucratic adventure novel filled with twists, turns, and a dash of governmental magic. Over her career, she has juggled roles with the ease of a seasoned circus performer, from the Union Health Secretary, where she played a three-year-long high-stakes game of policy-making, to her grand finale in July 2020.

As she steps into the UPSC’s top spot, one might say it’s less of a job change and more of a natural progression for someone who’s been everywhere, done everything. Think of it as moving from being the star player to the head coach in the bureaucratic big leagues.

During her storied career, Sudan hasn’t just filled seats; she’s been the Secretary of the Department of Food and Public Distribution, and dabbled in the ministries of Women and Child Development as well as Defence. Clearly, she’s not one to shy away from a challenge, whether it’s defending the nation or ensuring your child gets their midday meal.

Her contributions haven’t stopped at Indian borders either. She’s been a consultant with the World Bank—because what’s a career in public service without a stint in international waters? She’s chaired COP-8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and served as Vice Chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health, making sure her presence is felt on a global scale.

With a hand in major national programmes like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and Ayushman Bharat, plus her role in legislating the ban on e-cigarettes, Sudan’s career highlights often blur the lines between public service and public spectacle.

As she assumes her role at the UPSC, the corridors of power are abuzz—will she reform, transform, or simply perform?

Manoj Soni’s Resignation: A Curtain Call Amidst Controversy

The curtain has fallen on Manoj Soni’s role as the UPSC Chairperson, a position wrapped in prestige and protocol. The official order confirms the acceptance of his resignation, marking July 31, 2024, as the end of his administrative act. Soni's resignation, submitted on July 4, 2024, adds a dramatic twist to the bureaucratic saga, setting the stage for Preeti Sudan's entrance.

Sudan takes over from Soni, who has exited stage left earlier this month, citing 'personal reasons'—the oft-quoted refrain that sings volumes without revealing any lyrics. His departure comes before the curtain was due to fall in May 2029, cutting his performance short amidst a backdrop of murmurs and shadows.

The plot thickens with the controversy surrounding the selection of probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar. Since the revelation of Khedkar’s case, which involved misusing power and privileges, the corridors of social media have been alive with the sound of claims and counter-claims. These involve tales of fake certificates wielded by various characters in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), adding a layer of intrigue and scandal to Soni’s final act.

Before his tenure at the UPSC, Soni played leading roles in academia, serving three terms as Vice-Chancellor. His academic script included two consecutive terms from August 1, 2009, to July 31, 2015, as VC of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) in Gujarat; and one term at the helm of The Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) of Baroda, from April 2005 to April 2008.

Andhra Govt had accused IAS Officer Preeti Sudan of Misusing Official Position in 2005 for ‘Personal Gain’

It seems that not all tales from the bureaucratic annals are about dutiful service and upholding the mantle of responsibility. Preeti Sudan, whose career has spanned several high-profile roles, finds herself under the spotlight once again, but for reasons she'd probably prefer to keep off her illustrious resume. The Andhra Pradesh government, led by Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das, on 14th February 2021, took a stroll down memory lane to a less flattering chapter in Sudan's career.

This retrospective journey isn't for nostalgia but to scrutinize actions from back in 2005 and 2006, which now appear to blur the lines of official propriety. The AP government has raised the curtain on an old act where Sudan, the then Managing Director of AP State Civil Supplies Corporation, took a year-long extraordinary leave starting March 1, 2005, to join her family in the United States. A leave that was, let’s just say, extraordinarily timed.

The plot thickens as it wasn't just any family reunion. During her stay across the pond, Sudan applied for government permission to undertake studies with the Development Research Unit of the World Bank. Here's the kicker: her husband, Randeep Sudan, also a member of the IAS class of 1983, was working there on a foreign assignment. Talk about a power couple's sabbatical!

But here’s where the controversy brews stronger than morning coffee. Sudan's leave was extended till May 31, 2006, with a twist—she requested the conversion of her extraordinary leave into earned leave/half-pay leave as per the AIS (Leave) Rules. This maneuver, the AP government alleges, was a classic case of misusing her position “in order to derive personal gain, contrary to the rules, regulations, and established practices.”

Fast forward to nearly a decade and a half later, and the echoes of the past have come knocking on Sudan’s door, questioning her decisions during those controversial leave days. With an order issued nearly seven months after her retirement on July 31, 2020, following a three-month extension, it seems the past isn’t just a ghost but a rather insistent one.

The inquiry into whether disciplinary proceedings under the All India Service (Conduct) Rules, 1968, should be initiated against her is not just a look back in time but a stark reminder of how the actions of yesteryears can linger long in the bureaucratic corridors.

The plot thickened with an Office Memorandum from the Union Department of Health and Family Welfare, issued on February 12, 2020 (No.A- 19011/1/2017-Estt.I), which transformed Sudan’s extraordinary leave into something more commonplace: earned leave/half-pay leave.

But the intrigue didn’t stop there. Merely days later, on February 25, 2020, Sudan penned a letter firmly stating that there was no further action due on the issues and declared, “so the matter is closed at this end also.” A neat bow on a messy package, perhaps? Not quite, according to the vigilant watchdogs of the Andhra Pradesh government.

The AP authorities flagged this bureaucratic sleight of hand, critiquing the Under Secretary's memorandum as “without competency under the influence of the Member of Service who was the Secretary to Government of India, Department of Health and Family Welfare at that time.” It appeared the memorandum might have been a tad too convenient, orchestrated under the watchful eye of none other than Sudan herself, who was then perched at the top of this very department.

Echoing through the halls of power, the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, backed by the might of the Government of India, Department of Personnel and Training, voiced its authority loudly: they were the rightful conductors of this administrative orchestra, not the Department of Health and Family Welfare, which, they claimed, had “no locus standi to take action on the said letter.”

The bureaucratic ballet continued with the Chief Secretary of AP, wielding the pen like a conductor's baton, directing Sudan to deliver her side of the story within two weeks. The ultimatum was stark: explain why disciplinary proceedings should not swirl around her like a storm. If silence was her choice, then “it will be construed that she has no explanation to offer and further action will be taken based on the material available,” thundered the Chief Secretary.

Controversy With IAS Trainee

The UPSC, a cornerstone of India’s civil service examination system, has recently found itself in the eye of a storm, following allegations that trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar forged identity papers to sneak into the civil service ranks. Despite the swirling controversy, government sources have hastily clarified that Manoj Soni’s decision to step down is not related to the recent controversy involving UPSC candidates.

Preeti Sudan, a seasoned 1983 batch IAS officer from the Andhra Pradesh cadre, has been thrust into the limelight, slated to hold office until April 2025. Her illustrious career is dotted with high-profile roles, from her recent tenure as the Union Health Secretary, from which she retired in July 2020, to influential positions in the Food & Public Distribution Department, and the Ministry of Women & Child Development and Defence.

Sudan’s contributions have spanned significant national initiatives such as 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao', 'Ayushman Bharat', and key legislative frameworks like the National Medical Commission and Allied Health Professionals Commission, not to mention her pivotal role in the ban on e-cigarettes. Her stint as a Consultant with the World Bank and her academic credentials, with an M.Phil in Economics and MSc in Social Policy and Planning from the prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science, further burnish her profile.

On November 29, 2022, she took up the mantle as a Member in the UPSC, an institution that not only conducts examinations for the services of the Union but also holds the reins on direct recruitment by selection through interviews. Beyond its examination duties, the UPSC appoints officers on promotion/deputation/absorption, crafts and amends Recruitment Rules for various services and posts under the Government, adjudicates disciplinary cases relating to different Civil Services, and advises the Government on any matter referred to the Commission by the President of India.

As the new head of this pivotal institution, Sudan inherits a legacy of bureaucratic scrutiny and the challenge of steering the UPSC through choppy waters. The controversies of her past, including those surrounding her administrative decisions, seem to lurk just beneath the surface of her impressive resume. With her at the helm, the spotlight isn’t just on her capability but also on her past conduct, turning her tenure into a balancing act between maintaining the UPSC’s integrity and navigating the murky waters of bureaucratic controversies. As she takes on this role, the corridors of power will be watching closely, perhaps with a blend of skepticism and hope, to see how she maneuvers through these intertwined challenges.