Senior Indian Information Service officer Vasudha Gupta assumed charge as the Director General of the News Services division of the All India Radio (AIR) on Thursday.

A 1989-batch IIS officer, Gupta has served in various capacities in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting during her career spanning more than 32 years.

Before her appointment as the DG of the News Services division of the AIR, she served as the DG, Press Information Bureau (PIB).

During her stint in the PIB, Gupta played a key role in implementing the government’s communication strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic and also helmed the fact-checking unit to curb misinformation about the viral outbreak.

Gupta holds an MPhil from the Delhi School of Economics and a PhD in Banking and Financial Support Services from the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi.

She was also instrumental in the introduction of social media platforms in regional languages through the AIR when she was posted as the Additional Director General in the All India Radio (News).

N Venudhar Reddy, a 1988-batch IIS officer, retired as the principal director general of the AIR after a 34-year-long career.