Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 20: At the time when controversy is raging over recalling of the trainee probationer IAS officer Puja Khedkar back at the National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie, the Union Public Service Commission chairman Manoj Soni has resigned from his post, five years ahead of the expiry of his term.
A blue-eyed boy of the prime minister Narendra Modi, the 59-year old Mr Soni in his resignation letter has cited “personal reasons” for quitting the UPSC chairmanship, but sources close to him said he wanted to return to his home state Gujarat to join some “religious-social services” to serve the people.
Mr Soni’s decision, which comes as a surprise, has sparked speculation within administrative circles as the move comes amid the trainee IAS Puja Khedkar’s controversy. The UPSC, which conduct the examinations for the selection of the bureaucratic posts, has filed an FIR against Khedkar and has issued a show-cause notice to Khedkar, asking why her candidature as an IAS officer should not be cancelled in light of the allegations related to fake certificates.
The UPSC sources, however, maintained that Mr Soni’s resignation had no connection with the Puja Khedkar controversy and it was purely on personal reasons that he had submitted his resignation. His resignation was “not in any way connected to controversies and allegations surrounding the UPSC after he Khedkar issue came to the fore,” official sources said.
The sources claimed that Mr Soni actually had submitted his resignation nearly a month back, much before the Khedkar controversy broke out. But the sources did not say why was the information kept under a wrap for more than a month and whether the resignation would be accepted.
Mr Soni became a member of the Union Public Service Commission in 2017 and assumed office as chairman on May 16, 2023 for a period of six years with his tenure due to end on May, 15, 2029.
Despite taking over as the chairman of the Commission, sources said he was not keen on assuming the post and wanted to be relieved. His request, however was not accepted at the time. Mr Soni has now desired to devote more time to “socio-religious activities”, the official sources said.
Before his appointment as a member of the UPSC, Mr Soni served three terms as the Vice Chancellor of different universities. He was the youngest-ever Vice Chancellor in India when he assumed the VC post in The Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) of Baroda from April 2005 to April 2008, when Mr Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat.
The Congress alleged that Mr Soni was apparently “nudged out” given the current controversy in which the Commission was involved. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged the BJP-RSS were systematically indulging in an institutional takeover of India’s constitutional bodies, thereby damaging their reputation, integrity and autonomy.
“The multiple scandals that have plagued the UPSC is a cause of national concern. PM Modi and his Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions must come clean. Numerous cases of unqualified individuals faking caste and medical certificates seemed to have duped a ‘fool-proof’ system,” Kharge said in a post on X. “This is a direct affront to the genuine aspirations of lakhs of aspirants, including SC, ST, OBC, EWS candidates who work hard, burning midnight oil in preparing for the Civil Services Examinations, he said.
“It is disconcerting how the UPSC Chairperson has resigned prematurely, five years before his term ends. Why was his resignation kept secret for a month? Is there any connection between the numerous scandals and the resignation?” Kharge asked.
“This ‘blue-eyed-gem’ of Modi ji was brought in from Gujarat and promoted to being the Chairperson of UPSC,” he said. “Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had referred to the civil servants as the ‘Steel frame of India’, but the Modi government’s desperate attempt to control every aspect of governance has punched holes in the same,” Kharge alleged. “This needs to be thoroughly investigated at the highest level so that such cases of fraudulent malpractices in UPSC admissions don’t happen in the future,” he said.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also slammed the government, saying the sanctity and autonomy of all constitutional bodies have been badly damaged since 2014 — the year Narendra Modi became the prime minister.
Puja Khedkar is facing allegations of submitting fake certificates to secure her job and asking for special privileges at workplace, on charges of cheating. After Khedkar’s case came forward and sparked a controversy, social media users started pointing out instances of use of fake certificates by serving Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, among others, urging the police to take action.
Social media users have shared names, pictures and other details of a few IAS and IPS officers, claiming they used bogus certificates to claim benefits available for those belonging to Other Backward Class (non-creamy layer) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
