UPSC chairman Manoj Soni tenders 'surprise' resignation; cites personal reasons

NEW DELHI: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Chairman Manoj Soni tendered his resignation from the post on Saturday. Sources close to him stated ‘personal reasons’ to be behind the surprising decision.

Manoj Soni joined UPSC in 2017. He assumed charge as the Chairman of the Commission on 16 May 2023. Before that, he served three times as Vice Chancellor of two universities in Gujarat. According to reports, Manoj Soni had submitted his resignation a month ago. Meanwhile, it remains uncertain whether his resignation will be accepted or not. Soni has five more years in the post before his tenure ends.

Sources have clarified that there is no connection between the controversy related to IAS officer Pooja Khedkar and Soni's resignation. Earlier it was found that Pooja appeared in the exam using a fake certificate.

Pooja's IAS will be annulled and she will be debarred from appearing in the Civil Services Examination in future. Delhi Police has registered a case on the complaint of UPSC. The FIR registered based on investigation revealed that she had changed her name, parents' name, photograph, signature, email ID, mobile number and address for appearing in the examination more than the permitted number of times.