UPSC Chairperson Manoj Soni resigns five years before end of his tenure due to...

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Chairperson, Manoj Soni, resigned nearly five years before the end of his term. According to several media reports, Sonis resignation was due to “personal reasons.” Soni became a member of the UPSC in 2017, and was appointed Chairperson on May 16, 2023. 

At first, his term was supposed to end in 2029. According to the sources, Soni submitted his resignation around a month ago, it remains uncertain whether it will be accepted.

The resignation has nothing to do with the recent controversies involving candidates who purportedly used forged certifications to secure seats. Soni apparently handed in his resignation to the President of India, but the government has not yet acted on it. Additionally, the process for selecting a new chairperson has not been announced.

Manoj Soni is recognised for his close ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who appointed him the youngest vice chancellor in Indian history in 2005 when he nominated him to the position of vice chancellor of the MS University in Vadodara. Before joining UPSC, Dr Soni served three terms as Vice-Chancellor. These include two consecutive terms as Vice-Chancellor of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) from 01 August 2009 to July 31 2015, and one term as Vice-Chancellor of The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (The MSU of Baroda) from April 2005 to April 2008. 

At the time of his joining the MSU of Baroda, Dr Soni was the youngest ever Vice-Chancellor in India and the MSU.

Dr Soni has in the past served on the boards of governors of several institutions of higher education and public administration. He was also a member of a quasi-judicial body constituted by an Act of the Gujarat Legislature, which regulates the fee structure of the un-aided professional intuitions in Gujarat.

(With inputs from ANI)