RPSC gets two new members: Prof. Anand, Dr. Sharma appointed; Rathore named acting chairman
Synopsis
With RPSC Chairman Utkal Ranjan Sahu's retirement and another member's exit due next month, Rajasthan's Governor has moved quickly — appointing two new members and naming a veteran as acting chairman. The Commission, which controls state-service recruitment for thousands of aspirants, cannot afford a leadership vacuum.
Key Takeaways
Governor Haribhau Bagade appointed Prof.
Santosh Anand and Dr.
Deepak Kumar Sharma as RPSC members on 20 June .
Both appointees will serve for six years or until age 62 , whichever is earlier.
Col. (Retd.) Kesari Singh Rathore , the senior-most member, has been designated Acting Chairman following Chairman Sahu's retirement on 19 June .
Ashok Kalwar's tenure is set to end on 31 July , signalling further reconstitution ahead.
Anand is Principal of MLV Government College, Bhilwara ; Dr.
Sharma is a retired Professor of Zoology from the College Education Department .
The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) has received two new members following the retirement of Chairman Utkal Ranjan Sahu on 19 June. Governor Haribhau Bagade issued the appointment orders late on Friday night, naming Prof. Santosh Anand and Dr. Deepak Kumar Sharma as members of the Commission. In the interim, senior-most member Lieutenant Colonel (Retd.) Kesari Singh Rathore has been designated Acting Chairman until a regular appointment is made.
Terms of Appointment
Both Prof. Anand and Dr. Sharma will serve for a period of six years from the date of assuming office, or until attaining the age of 62 years, whichever comes earlier. The appointments were necessitated by the vacancy created after Chairman Sahu's retirement, with the Commission now entering a period of leadership transition.
Notably, another member's tenure is also scheduled to conclude next month. Dr. Ashok Kalwar, one of three members appointed by the BJP-led state government on 24 September 2025, is set to retire on 31 July, adding further urgency to the reconstitution process.
Who Is Acting Chairman Rathore
Lt. Col. (Retd.) Kesari Singh Rathore was appointed as an RPSC member in 2023 during the tenure of the previous Indian National Congress (Congress) government. As the senior-most serving member, he has been entrusted with overseeing the Commission's day-to-day functioning until a permanent chairman is designated.
Profile: Dr. Deepak Kumar Sharma
Dr. Deepak Kumar Sharma is a retired Professor of Zoology who superannuated from the College Education Department in June 2025. During his academic career, he served as Assistant Director in the College Commissionerate and as State Coordinator of the Youth Skill Development Cell. He has been associated with the Boards of Management and Academic Councils of various universities.
Dr. Sharma served as State President of the Rajasthan Higher Education unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh and currently holds the position of State Organisation Secretary of the same body.
Profile: Prof. Santosh Anand
Prof. Santosh Anand is currently serving as Principal of MLV Government College, Bhilwara. An academician with a long association with educational and social organisations, he presently serves as President of the Chittor Prant of Vidya Bharati. He has held multiple organisational responsibilities across student, educational, and outreach initiatives over the years.
Why This Matters for RPSC
The RPSC is the nodal body responsible for conducting recruitment examinations and selections for various Rajasthan state government services — a mandate that directly affects thousands of job aspirants across the state. The induction of two new members alongside the appointment of an Acting Chairman is expected to ensure continuity in the Commission's examination calendar and administrative decision-making. With further transitions on the horizon, the Rajasthan government faces pressure to fill the chairmanship on a permanent basis without delay.
Point of View
Compressing the window for stable leadership. The BJP-led state government's choice of both new members — one with ties to Vidya Bharati, the other to the Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh — reflects the ideological character of recent appointments, a pattern critics will scrutinise given RPSC's role in state-service hiring. The more pressing question is how quickly a permanent chairman is named; an extended acting arrangement risks slowing the examination pipeline that lakhs of aspirants depend on.
NationPress
20 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has been appointed as new RPSC members in June 2025?
Governor Haribhau Bagade appointed Prof. Santosh Anand and Dr. Deepak Kumar Sharma as members of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission on 20 June. Both will serve six years or until age 62, whichever comes first.
Why was an Acting Chairman appointed for RPSC?
RPSC Chairman Utkal Ranjan Sahu retired on 19 June, creating a vacancy at the top. Lt. Col. (Retd.) Kesari Singh Rathore, the senior-most serving member, was designated Acting Chairman to ensure continuity until a permanent appointment is made.
Who is Lt. Col. Kesari Singh Rathore?
Lt. Col. (Retd.) Kesari Singh Rathore is an RPSC member appointed in 2023 during the tenure of the previous Congress government. As the senior-most member, he now serves as Acting Chairman of the Commission.
What is the RPSC and why do these appointments matter?
The Rajasthan Public Service Commission is the constitutional body responsible for recruitment examinations and selections for state government services in Rajasthan. Stable leadership is critical to maintaining the examination calendar that thousands of job aspirants rely on.
When is the next RPSC member retirement due?
Dr. Ashok Kalwar's tenure is set to conclude on 31 July, meaning the Commission faces another transition within weeks. He was one of three members appointed by the BJP-led government on 24 September 2025.
