{{short description|Indian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}} {{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Arvind Saxena.jpg | office = Chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission | term_start = 28 November 2018 | term_end = 7 August 2020 | predecessor = Vinay Mittal | successor = Pradeep Kumar Joshi | office1 = Member, Union Public Service Commission | term_start1 = May 2015 | term_end1 = November 2018 | office2 = Special Secretary in-charge, Aviation Research Centre | term_start2 = December 2014 | term_end2 = May 2015 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|08|08|df=y}} | birth_place = Delhi, India<ref name="Saxena"/> | occupation = Civil servant | alma_mater = Delhi College of Engineering<br/>Indian Institute of Technology Delhi ({{small|M. Tech}}) }}
'''Arvind Saxena''' (born 8 August 1955)<ref name="Saxena">{{cite web|url=http://upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Profile-A-Saxena-N.pdf|title=Arvind Saxena Profile|work=UPSC|accessdate=25 November 2018}}</ref> is an Indian civil servant and is the former chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).<ref name="The Times of India">{{cite news |title=Arvind Saxena appointed UPSC chairman |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/arvind-saxena-appointed-upsc-chairman/articleshow/66852125.cms |accessdate=3 December 2018 |work=The Times of India |agency=Press Trust of India |date=28 November 2018}}</ref> A 1978-batch officer, he served in the Indian Postal Service for 10 years, before joining the Research and Analysis Wing in 1988, and the UPSC in 2015.<ref name="toi2">{{cite news |title=Arvind Saxena appointed acting UPSC chief |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/arvind-saxena-appointed-acting-upsc-chief/articleshow/64530541.cms |accessdate=3 December 2018 |work=The Times of India |agency=Press Trust of India |date=10 June 2018}}</ref>
==Education== Saxena earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi, before pursuing the master's degree in systems management from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.<ref name="Saxena"/>
==Career== He joined the Indian Postal Service in 1978 and worked as Divisional Head of Postal Services at Bharatpur and Kota. In 1982, Saxena was appointed Officer on Special Duty in-charge of arrangements for postal services for the Asian Games and the seventh meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement. He later took over as Philately Officer at the Postal Directorate in New Delhi and subsequently as OSD for modernization of the Stamps and Seals Factory in Aligarh. He was posted as Director, Mail Planning Operations in Mumbai, looking after mail arrangements in the States of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, before being selected as Principal of the Postal Training Centre in Saharanpur. He also underwent a program for trainers at the University of Manchester in the UK.<ref name="Saxena"/>
In 1988, Saxena left the Postal Service to join the Research and Analysis Wing, where he "specialised in the study of strategic developments in neighbouring countries",<ref name="toi2"/> including Nepal, China and Pakistan.<ref name="Saxena"/> Apart from serving in various countries, he served in the Indian States of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. He took over as Special Secretary in-charge of the Aviation Research Centre (ARC) in December 2014,<ref>{{cite news |title=Khanna is new RAW chief |url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2014/sunday-edition/khanna-is-new-raw-chief.html |accessdate=3 December 2018 |publisher=The Pioneer |date=21 December 2014 |language=en}}</ref> where he worked in strengthening ties with similar agencies of other countries while interacting closely with the Chiefs of the Indian Armed Forces and heads of the Central Armed Police Forces. Saxena is a recipient of awards for Meritorious Services (2005) and Distinguished Services (2012), conferred by the Prime Minister of India.
===Union Public Service Commission=== In May 2015, he joined the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as its member and was appointed its acting chairman in June 2018, after the retirement of Vinay Mittal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/arvind-saxena-appointed-acting-chairman-of-upsc-to-take-over-from-vinay-mittal-on-20-june-4504593.html|title=Arvind Saxena appointed acting chairman of UPSC: to take over from Vinay Mittal on 20 June|work=First Post|date=25 November 2018}}</ref> In November 2018, he was appointed the full-time chairman.<ref name="The Times of India"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saxena, Arvind}} Category:Living people Category:1955 births Category:Indian civil servants Category:Chairmen of Union Public Service Commission Category:Delhi Technological University alumni