Upma Chowdhary, a 1983 batch IAS officer of Himachal cadre, has been appointed Director of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) at Mussoorie, the first woman to be named for the post. The post has been upgraded to Secretary rank and Chowdhary would be the 23rd director and first woman director of the prestigious academy, imparting training to officers of civil services. She will replace Rajeev Kapoor.

Currently posted as Additional Chief Secretary in Himachal Pradesh, Chowdhary had preceded on leave after she and her husband Vineet Chowdhary, a 1982 batch officer, were ignored for the post of chief secretary.

Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration

• The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) is a research and training institute on public policy and public administration in India.
• Operated by India’s Union Government, LBSNAA is located in the remote town of Mussoorie, Uttarakhand in the foothills of the Himalayas.
• The academy’s main purpose is to train civil service officers of the three All India Services namely Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service and the Indian Forest Service; and also for Group-A Central Services such as Indian Revenue Service and the Indian Foreign Service among others.
• The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) trainees officers will be awarded an MA degree in Public Management from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.