Dr Manoj Soni
New Delhi: Why did the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Chairman Dr Manoj Soni resign? Was the fake certificate of Puja Khedkar, a probationer Indian Administrative Service (whose) officer against whose selection the UPSC issued a cancellation notice on July 19, 2024, the reason for Soni’s resignation?
The news about the resignation of UPSC Chairman Dr Manoj Soni made its first appearance in the media on July 20, 2024. The resignation came to light in the middle of the IAS probationer’s fake certificate row. Dr Soni resigned on “personal grounds” almost five years before his tenure ended in 2029. He joined the Commission as a Member in 2017 and was sworn in as its Chairperson on May 16, 2023.
It is worth underlining that it is the first time a UPSC Chairman has resigned and speculations are rife about the reason for his resignation.
Interestingly the inside information suggests a twist in the tale. A section of insiders says that Dr Soni had put in his papers requesting to be relieved from the coveted position around a month ago.
If this information is correct then apparently Soni was not asked to resign in the backdrop of Puja Khedekar’s fake certificate row including a couple of other such cases.
Then why did he resign? What exactly transpired that led him to resign?
A section of insiders says that Soni, a spiritually inclined person, wants to pursue social work and spiritual pursuits.
Undoubtedly, he has his own ideological moorings which anyone may have, but he is also seen as a man of substance. Sources say that he usually stands by his own assessment and there were a few occasions when he declined to toe the establishment’s line.
Still, it raises doubts as to how such a crucial development came to media and public notice so late. Maybe, this is about a model of administration which doesn’t allow information to come outside with ease. There may also be the reason that the media was heavily occupied with the government formation and Parliament session and came to the limelight after controversies about some other appointments broke. Another remote possibility seems more than a coincidence because the resignation coincides with the Budget session when Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was certain to raise the issue during the Parliament session beginning Monday
Whatever could be the reason for resignation, it has already stirred the hornet’s nest.
Source: Indianmandarins.com
