TFP Bureau, New Delhi, May 2, 2025: Former senior bureaucrat Ms. Anuradha Prasad officially assumed charge as a Member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Friday. The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Raj Shukla, the seniormost member of the Commission, in a formal ceremony held in the national capital.
Ms. Prasad, a 1986-batch officer of the Indian Defence Accounts Service, brings over 37 years of extensive administrative and policy experience to the UPSC. She has served across multiple key ministries of the Government of India, including Defence, Finance, Food Processing Industries, Labour & Employment, and Home Affairs.
An alumna of Lady Shri Ram College and the University of Delhi, she also holds a Master’s degree in Development Administration from the University of Birmingham, UK.
Throughout her career, Ms. Prasad has been involved in high-impact roles. As Finance Manager in the Ministry of Defence, she oversaw major defence acquisitions. In the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, she played a pivotal role in developing cold chain infrastructure and advancing industry-based R&D. She also served on the boards of FSSAI and NCVET, contributing to food safety and vocational training policy.
As Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Labour & Employment, she was instrumental in drafting key Labour Codes and launching the e-Shram portal, a national database for unorganised sector workers. Her tenure as Director General of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) was marked by significant welfare initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her final government role as Secretary of the Inter-State Council Secretariat, Ministry of Home Affairs, she facilitated Centre-State dialogue and consensus-building on complex intergovernmental matters, leading to key policy outcomes and project acceleration.
Post-retirement, Ms. Prasad served as a Member of the Police Complaints Authority under the Delhi government.
Her appointment to the UPSC is expected to strengthen the Commission’s administrative and policy acumen as it continues to oversee India’s premier civil services recruitment process.
