UPSC Chairman Resign: UPSC Chairman Manoj Soni resigned five years before his tenure, which was to end in May 2029. He has cited personal reasons behind his resignation. It has also been said that his resignation after the case of probationary IAS officer Pooja Khedkar came to light is not in any way related to the controversies and allegations related to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Manoj Soni Had Resigned Even Before The Pooja Khedkar Case Came To Light
According to the report received, the resignation of the UPSC Chairman has nothing to do with the Pooja Khedkar case. He had resigned a fortnight ago, citing personal reasons. However, his resignation has not been accepted yet.
Manoj Soni Became UPSC Chairman In The Year 2023
59-year-old Manoj Soni took over as a Union Public Service Commission member on June 28, 2017. He became UPSC Chairman on May 16, 2023. His term was to end on May 15, 2029. Manoj Soni was reportedly unhappy with being made UPSC Chairman; he had requested to be relieved of the post, but his request was not accepted then.
Desire To Devote Time To Social-Religious Activities
Manoj Soni now wants to devote most of his time to social-religious activities. The news of the resignation of the UPSC Chairman is shocking at this time because, on Friday, UPSC said that Pooja Khedkar changed her identity to cheat in the Civil Services Examination beyond eligibility. An FIR has been registered against her. Also, a show cause notice has been issued to cancel Pooja Khedkar’s UPSC selection and debar her from future examinations.
Career Of Manoj Soni So Far
Before being appointed to UPSC, Manoj Soni was the Vice Chancellor thrice. He served two consecutive terms as VC of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU), Gujarat, from August 1, 2009, to July 31, 2015. Before this, he served one term as VC of Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU), Baroda, from April 2005 to April 2008. When joining MSU, Manoj Soni was the youngest-ever Vice-Chancellor in India.
As a political science scholar specialising in international relations, Soni taught international relations at Sardar Patel University (SPU), Vallabh Vidyanagar, between 1991 and 2016. Manoj Soni has also received many awards and published many books.
