UPSC Chairman Resigns Amid Puja Khedkar Controversy: Manoj Soni, Recently Appointed and Close to Modi, Had 5 Years Left in Term

Manoj Soni, the first Gujarati Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), has resigned from his position five years before the end of his term. His tenure was supposed to end in 2029. He has resigned for personal reasons.

Manoj Soni took over as the UPSC Chairman on May 16, 2023, after serving as a UPSC member since 2017. His tenure as Chairman was set for six years. It is reported that he submitted his resignation to the President about a month ago. However, it is unclear whether it will be accepted.

UPSC in the Spotlight Following Puja Khedkar Controversy

UPSC is currently in the spotlight following allegations against probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who is accused of allegedly falsifying her documents to gain entry into the civil services. However, it is being stated that Manoj Soni’s resignation is unrelated to this matter.

15 Years as Vice-Chancellor at Two Gujarat Universities

Before his appointment as UPSC Chairman in 2017, Manoj Soni served as Vice-Chancellor at two universities in Gujarat for a total of 15 years. Soni is considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In 2005, at the age of 40, he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Vadodara University, becoming one of the youngest Vice-Chancellors in the country. He then completed a five-year term as Vice-Chancellor at Gujarat’s Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BBOU) by 2015.

After 2015, Soni joined the Swaminarayan sect’s Anupam Mission in Anand, Gujarat. On January 10, 2020, he received the Diksha of a Nishkama Karma Yogi.

Controversies During Manoj Soni’s Tenure Related to IAS Selection

During Manoj Soni’s tenure, IAS trainees Puja Khedkar and Abhishek Singh were involved in controversies. Both were accused of benefiting from the OBC and PwD categories to gain selection.

Puja Khedkar was selected under the PwD category by claiming low vision.

Abhishek Singh passed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam under the disability category, claiming to have locomotor disorder, which affects his ability to walk. Abhishek later resigned from the IAS to pursue a career in acting.

What is the Role of UPSC?

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is a constitutional body established under Article 315-323, Part XIV, Chapter II of the Indian Constitution. It is responsible for conducting various examinations on behalf of the central government. 

The UPSC organizes the Civil Services Examination each year for the recruitment of officers into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Central Services (Group A and Group B).

The Chairperson of the UPSC is the head of the commission. Additionally, the governing body may have up to 10 members, excluding the Chairperson. As of Friday, the body had seven members besides the Chairperson, including Dinesh Das, the former Chairman of the Gujarat Public Service Commission.