Manoj Soni, the chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), has resigned citing personal reasons, effective immediately. His resignation comes on Saturday, before the end of his tenure in May 2029.
The official sources say that Soni's resignation is not related to the recent controversies surrounding the UPSC, including the issue of probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar.
"The UPSC chairman had tendered his resignation citing personal reasons over a fortnight back. It is yet to be accepted," a source said.
Soni, an eminent educationist, took over as a member of the Commission on June 28, 2017, and was appointed as the UPSC chairman on May 16, 2023. He had requested to be relieved of his duties earlier but was not granted permission. Sources suggest that Soni wants to devote more time to "socio-religious activities."
Before his appointment at the UPSC, Soni served as Vice-Chancellor of two universities and taught international relations at Sardar Patel University. He has received several recognitions and awards and has published numerous papers. The UPSC, which is headed by a chairman and can have up to ten members, currently has seven members, three less than its sanctioned strength.
The development assumes significance as UPSC recently lodged a criminal case against Khedkar for allegedly faking her identity to avail of civil services examination attempts beyond her eligibility. Additionally, social media has been abuzz with claims and counter-claims about serving IAS and IPS officers using fake certificates to claim benefits.
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