UPSC chairman Manoj Soni tenders resignation, cites 'personal reasons'

Manoj Soni resigned as UPSC chairman two weeks ago, but the top brass has yet to accept his resignation, sources reveal

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) chairman Manoj Soni has reportedly tendered his resignation due to “personal reasons."

Sources told news agency PTI that Soni submitted his resignation two weeks ago, but it is yet to be accepted by the authorities. 

They further said that his resignation is "not in any way connected to controversies and allegations surrounding the UPSC after probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar issue came to the fore."

Soni, 59, joined the commission as a member on June 28, 2019, and became its chairman on May 16, 2023. His term was originally set to end on May 15, 2029. 

Sources informed PTI that Soni had expressed a desire not to assume the chairman role and had requested to be relieved from his duties, preferring to devote more time to "socio-religious activities.

This development follows the UPSC's announcement on Friday that it had registered a criminal case against Khedkar for faking her identity and taken measures to bar her from future selections. Since Khedkar’s incident surfaced, social media has been abuzz with claims of similar cases involving fake certificates of serving IAS and Indian Police Service (IPS) officers.

Before his UPSC appointment, Soni served three terms as vice-chancellor, including two consecutive terms from August 1, 2009, to July 31, 2015, at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) in Gujarat, and one term at The Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) of Baroda from April 2005 to April 2008. At the time of joining MSU, he was the youngest vice-chancellor in India.

A scholar of political science with a specialisation in international relations, Soni taught at Sardar Patel University (SPU) in Vallabh Vidyanagar from 1991 to 2016, except during his tenure as vice-chancellor of the two universities. He has received numerous recognitions and awards and has a significant number of publications to his credit.

The UPSC is headed by a chairman and can have a maximum of ten members. Currently, there are seven members, three short of its sanctioned strength.