UPSC Chairperson Manoj Soni Resigns 5 Years Before Term End

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Chairperson, Manoj Soni, has resigned from his position nearly five years before the end of his term, citing "personal reasons."

Soni, who joined the UPSC as a member in 2017 and became Chairperson on May 16, 2023, was initially set to serve until 2029.

According to reports, Soni submitted his resignation approximately a month ago. However, it remains uncertain whether his resignation will be accepted, as the government has yet to act on it. Reports clarify that Soni’s resignation is unrelated to recent controversies involving candidates allegedly securing seats through fake certificates. He reportedly submitted his resignation to the President of India.

The process for appointing a new Chairperson has not yet been announced.

Manoj Soni has been closely associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who appointed him as Vice-Chancellor of Vadodara’s MS University in 2005, making him the youngest Vice-Chancellor in India at the time. Before his role at the UPSC, Soni served three terms as Vice-Chancellor at two universities in Gujarat, including two terms at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) until 2015.

The UPSC, established under Articles 315-323 of Part XIV Chapter II of the Indian Constitution, is led by a Chairperson and up to ten other members. 

Under Soni’s leadership, the commission included seven other members: Dinesh Dasa, former Chairman of the Gujarat Public Service Commission; BB Swain, a former Gujarat cadre IAS officer; Sheel Vardhan Singh, a former IPS officer; Sanjay Verma, a former diplomat; and Preeti Sudan, former Union Health Secretary.

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