UPSC Chairman Manoj Soni has submitted his resignation citing personal reasons. Manoj Soni’s resignation has not been accepted yet, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) sources informed ANI.
The resignation of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) chairperson comes five years before the termination of his tenure and a year after taking charge, reported The Hindu. His tenure is slated to end in 2029. Manoj Soni reportedly became a Member of the Commission in 2017 and took oath to office as the Chairperson on May 16 last year.
As per reports, Manoj Soni tendered resignation early to devote more time to Anoopam Mission, a branch of the Swaminarayan Sect in Gujarat. The UPSC Chairperson became a monk or nishkam karmayogi (selfless worker) in 2020 after receiving diksha in the Mission.
In 2005, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close-aid, Manoj Soni, was chosen as the Vice-Chancellor of Vadodara’s MS University. Following this appointment, he became the youngest V-C in the country as he was 40-years-old at that time.
“He resigned almost a month back,” The Hindu reported citing an insider. The insider further noted that there was no clarity whether he would be relieved and the resignation would be accepted. Besides this, the insider emphasised that the resignation was not linked to the controversy regarding UPSC candidates securing employment by presenting fake certificates, reported The Hindu.
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The resignation letter has reportedly been submitted to the President of India. Meanwhile, the name of the new Chairperson is awaited.
This development comes at a time the controversy pertaining to trainee Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar is making headlines. The probationary officer allegedly forged identity papers, presented a disability certificate and sought admission into the esteemed service. On Friday, the Commission issued a show-cause notice for the cancelling her candidature from Civil Services Examination, 2022 and registered a criminal case against her.
