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Who is Kiran Ahuja, Biden's choice for the US Office of Personnel Management?
The United States Office of Personnel Management is a federal agency that manages US civilian services.
The Biden administration has nominated yet another Indian-American to head a US federal office. This time, US President Joe Biden has nominated Kiran Ahuja for the task to head the US Department of Personnel Management(OPM).
The United States Office of Personnel Management is a federal agency that manages US civilian services.
Who is Kiran Ahuja?
> The 49-year-old American lawyer, an immigrant from India, raised in Savannah, Georgia will the first Indian-American to head this department, like many other India-Americans who might be the first Indian-Americans to head their department like Vice President Kamala Harris, and Neera Tanden, who if confirmed by Senate will be the first to head Office of Management and Budget.
> Ahuja, who is currently the chief executive officer of Philanthropy Northwest, a network of regional institutions, had served as chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management and as executive director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders under the Obama administration.
> Ahuja graduated in law from the University of Georgia School of Law and began her career as a civil rights lawyer at the US Department of Justice. She was also the first to file the department's first student racial harassment case.
> She has been at the forefront of advocating for the rights of women of colour and is currently also serving on the board of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP).
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Why is Ahuja being considered for OPM?
> With a wealth of experience in federal and philanthropic work, Ahuja is considered to be the best fit for the OPM that had been disrupted during the Trump administration with various experts leaving their agencies.
> Many saw the nomination of Ahuja for the head of the OPM as an excellent choice on part of US President Joe Biden. The Washington Post had said that Ahuja has the mandate to reverse course on the Trump era's civil services policies.
"With over two decades of experience serving in government, non-profit and philanthropic sectors, Kiran is uniquely qualified to lead OPM at this critical juncture as we work to build a federal workforce that reflects the full diversity of our country," PTI had quoted Congresswoman Judy Chu as saying.
