In a surprising development, Dr. Manoj Soni, Chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), has reportedly resigned due to personal reasons, nearly five years before his tenure was set to end in 2029.
Dr. Soni joined the UPSC as a member in 2017 and assumed the role of Chairperson on May 16, 2023. Reports indicate that he submitted his resignation to the President of India about a month ago. However, it is still unclear whether the resignation will be accepted and when he might be officially relieved of his duties.
Dr. Soni is the 31st Chairperson of the UPSC, succeeding Pradip Kumar Joshi. Notably, if these reports are true, this would mark the first time a UPSC Chairperson has resigned.
The UPSC has come under scrutiny following allegations against trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who is accused of forging identity documents to gain entry into the civil services. This incident has ignited social media discussions about other instances of candidates falsifying documents to obtain reserved benefits.
