The Monk Who Left UPSC! Why Chairman Manoj Soni Resigned 5 Years Before His Term Ended

Updated on July 20, 2024 11:43 IST

UPSC chairman resigns: Soni joined the UPSC as a member in 2017. He was sworn in as the chairman of the commission on May 16, 2023. His term would end in 2029. According to sources, Soni’s decision to resign has nothing to do with the recent controversy surrounding UPSC candidates who are accused of submitting fraudulent certificates to secure jobs. He submitted his resignation “long back”, sources added as reported by ANI.

Manoj Soni joined the UPSC as a member in 2017. He was sworn in as the chairman of the commission on May 16, 2023. His tenure would end in 2029.

UPSC Chair Manoj Soni Resignation: In a surprising turn of events, UPSC chairman Manoj Soni submitted his resignation citing “personal reasons” nearly five years before the end of his tenure. However, his resignation has not been accepted yet, sources in the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) told news agency ANI.

“UPSC chairman Manoj Soni has submitted his papers citing personal reasons. His resignation has not been accepted yet. It is a long process,” sources in DOPT told ANI over the phone. Soni’s term as UPSC chairman would end in 2029.

ANI later reported that attempts were made to contact Manoj Soni, but he did not respond to calls or text messages.

UPSC Chairman Resigns: Manoj Soni’s Term

Soni joined the UPSC as a member in 2017. He was sworn in as the chairman of the commission on May 16, 2023. His tenure would end in 2029.

Soni’s decision to resign, sources said, is not related to the recent controversy surrounding UPSC candidates who are accused of submitting fraudulent certificates to secure jobs. He submitted his resignation “long back”, sources added as reported by ANI.

The UPSC has been in the news following allegations against Puja Khedkar, an IAS trainee, of forging identity documents to gain government employment.

Who is Manoj Soni – His Life, Education, Career and Achievements

Before you join the Commission for Public Services of the Union (UPSC), Soni served three terms as Vice-Chancellor. These included two consecutive terms as Vice-Chancellor of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) from 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2015, and one term as Vice-Chancellor of The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (The MSU of Baroda) from April 2005 to April 2008.

When Soni joined MSU from Baroda, he was the youngest ever Vice Chancellor in India and MSU.

Manoj Soni was born on 17 February 1965 in Mumbai. He lost his father when he was in class V. His father used to sell semi-finished products in the Bhuleshwar footpath market. After his father’s untimely demise, Soni took to selling incense sticks in the chawls of Mumbai to support his family and finance his education.

Soni has been associated with the Swaminarayan sect’s Anoopam Mission in Mogri in Anand district since a young age. He also received diksha (initiation) as a ‘nishkarma karmayogi’ (selfless worker) on January 10, 2020, according to the TOI report.

After his father’s death, the organization supported Soni’s education and he joined the mission from an early age.

A few years later, in 1978, his mother decided to shift to Anand. He failed in his class 12 science examination and then opted for arts from Raj Ratna PT Patel College. He did his BA and MA in political science from MS University in 1988 and 1990 respectively.

Soni, a political scientist with a specialisation in international relations, taught international relations at Sardar Patel University (SPU) in Vallabh Vidyanagar between 1991 and 2016, except for the period when he was vice-chancellor of both universities.

Soni’s PhD research is on the “Post-Cold War International Systemic Transition and Indo-US Relations”. This is one of the earliest and unique studies in 1992 and 1995. It attempted to explain the post-Cold War systemic transition through a conceptual framework with powerful predictive capabilities. This work was later published as a book titled “Understanding the Global Political Earthquake” by Ashgate Publishing Limited, New Hampshire, an internationally acclaimed publishing giant based in the United Kingdom in 1998.

Soni has received numerous awards and recognitions. Most importantly, in 2013, Soni was awarded the rare honor of “Honorary Mayor-President of the City of Baton Rouge” by the Mayor-President of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, for his exemplary leadership in empowering underserved communities with IT literacy.

In 2015, Soni was awarded the World Education Congress Global Award for Distance Learning Leadership by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in London, United Kingdom.

In the past, Soni has served on the boards of various institutions of higher education and public administration. He was also a member of a quasi-judicial body set up by an Act of the Gujarat Legislature, which regulates the fee structure of the non-aided professional institutions in Gujarat.