Eminent historian and Professor David R Syiemlieh is all set to take over from Ms Alka Sirohi as new Chairman of UPSC w.e.f 04 January 2017and may continue to head UPSC till the completion of his term on January 21, 2018. He joined as a member of the UPSC on June 25, 2012. The outgoing Chairman Ms Sirohi (a former IAS officer) is completing her term today (03 January 2017) on the attainment of 65 yrs of age. An alumnus of St Edmund's College, Shillong, Syiemlieh joined the history department of North Eastern Hill University (Nehu) in 1979 and became pro vice-chancellor of the central university (2010-2011). Further, in September 2011, he was appointed vice-chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University, Itanagar. Syiemlieh was also actively engaged in historical research and has published a number of books and papers on the history of the Northeast. His recent publications are On the Edge of Empire: Four British Plans for North East India and Layers of History: Essays on the Khasi-Jaintias. He also served as the honorary director of the Indian Council of Social Science Research-North Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong, and was a council member for two terms of the Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi.