UPSC chairman Manoj Soni quits

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) chairman Manoj Soni has resigned due to "personal reasons", almost five years before his tenure was to end in 2029, sources said. However, sources said Soni's resignation was not related to the controversy surrounding probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who allegedly submitted fraudulent disability and caste certificates to get selected.

Manoj Soni became a member of the UPSC, a constitutional body, in 2017. On May 16, 2023, he took over as chairman of the commission, which conducts the civil services exam (CSE) to recruit candidates for top government services like IAS, IPS, and IFS.

The UPSC recently lodged a criminal case against Puja Khedkar for "misrepresenting and falsifying facts" while appearing for the civil services examination. The UPSC has also issued her a show cause notice for the cancellation of her selection and debarment from future examinations. Following the UPSC complaint, Delhi Police has registered a case involving charges of forgery and cheating.

According to sources, Manoj Soni had submitted his resignation to the President about a month ago. However, it is not clear whether his resignation will be accepted or not. Before his appointment to the UPSC in 2017, Soni had served three terms as vice-chancellor at two universities in Gujarat.