Former bureaucrat Anuradha Prasad joins UPSC; two member posts yet to be filled

Former bureaucrat Anuradha Prasad appointed as UPSC member, bringing extensive experience in public policy and finance.

Former bureaucrat Anuradha Prasad was sworn in as a Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) member on Friday. Ms. Prasad is a former Secretary of the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Home Ministry. The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Lt Gen Raj Shukla (retd), the senior most member of the Commission, a statement issued by the UPSC said.

Ms. Prasad belongs to the 1986 batch of the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS). As the Secretary of the Inter-State Council Secretariat, she handled centre-state and inter-state relations and built consensus on many complex and sensitive issues, resulting in key policy changes and expediting of infrastructure and other projects. Post-retirement, Ms. Prasad served as a member of the Police Complaints Authority, the government of the national capital territory of Delhi, the statement said.

A UPSC member is appointed for a term of six years or until attaining 65 years of age. The UPSC, which conducts civil services examinations to select officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS), among others, is headed by a chairman and can have a maximum of 10 members. With Ms. Prasad's appointment, two more posts remain vacant. At present, the UPSC is working without a chairman, following the completion of tenure by Preeti Sudan on Tuesday.

Newly sworn-in member Ms. Prasad has extensive experience in public policy, public finance, and cooperative federalism. In a career spanning over 37 years, she has worked in Union ministries of defence, finance, food processing industries, labour and employment and home, gaining in-depth experience in policy and programme formulation and implementation.

As Finance Manager in the Acquisitions Wing of the Ministry of Defence, Prasad handled the acquisition of large platforms. At the Ministry of Finance, she handled finance and accounting for the defence services and the Ordnance Factory Board. During her stint in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Prasad was instrumental in the development of the food industry through cold chain infrastructure, food testing laboratories and industry-driven research and development, the statement said.

She also has regulatory experience as a member of the Board of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the National Council for Vocational Education & Training (NCVET). As Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Prasad contributed to the drafting of the Labour Codes and the development of the e-Shram Portal, a national database of workers in the unorganised sector. As Director General of Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), she spearheaded various initiatives for the health and welfare of workers during the COVID pandemic.

Ms. Prasad did her graduation from the Lady Shri Ram College for Women and obtained a Master of Arts in History from the University of Delhi. She also has a Master's degree in Development Administration from the University of Birmingham, UK.