UPSC chairman Manoj Soni resigns citing 'personal reasons'
New Delhi (PTI): UPSC chairman Manoj Soni has resigned citing personal reasons before the expiry of his tenure in May 2029, official sources said on Saturday.
His resignation is "not in any way connected to controversies and allegations surrounding the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) after probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar issue came to the fore," they said.
"The UPSC chairman had tendered his resignation citing personal reasons over a fortnight back. It is yet to be accepted," a source said.
Eminent educationist Soni, 59, took over as a member of the Commission on June 28, 2017. He took oath as the UPSC chairman on May 16, 2023 and his term was to end on May 15, 2029.
Sources said Soni was not keen on becoming the UPSC chairman and had requested to be relieved. However, his request was not accepted then, the sources said.
They said Soni has now desired to devote more time to "socio-religious activities."
The development assumes significance as the UPSC on Friday said it has lodged a criminal case against Khedkar for faking her identity to fraudulently avail attempts in the civil services examination beyond eligibility, and taken steps to debar her from future selections.
Since Khedkar's case of misusing power and privileges came to fore, social media is abuzz with claims and counter-claims on use of fake certificates by serving Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, among others.
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).
Prior to his appointment in the UPSC, Soni had served three terms as Vice-Chancellor.
These include two consecutive terms from August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2015 as VC of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU), Gujarat; and one term as VC of The Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) of Baroda from April 2005 to April 2008.
At the time of joining the MSU, Soni was the youngest ever Vice-Chancellor in India.
A scholar of political science with specialisation in international relations, Soni taught international relations at Sardar Patel University (SPU), Vallabh Vidyanagar between 1991 and 2016, except for the period when he served as Vice-Chancellor of the two universities.
Soni has earned a number of recognitions and awards and has significant number of publications to his credit.
The UPSC is headed by a chairman and can have a maximum of ten members. At present, there are seven members in the UPSC, three less than its sanctioned strength.
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World’s ‘nicest judge’ Frank Caprio, who drew huge online audience with his kindness, dies at 88
Rhode Island: Frank Caprio, the Rhode Island judge whose compassionate courtroom manner made him a global sensation, passed away on August 20 at the age of 88.
His death after “a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer” was announced through a statement on his Instagram account.
Widely known as “world’s Nicest Judge,” Caprio rose to international prominence through the television show Caught in Providence, which aired from 2000 and became an internet phenomenon years later. Clips of his empathetic judgments, often laced with humor, warmth, and kindness, attracted millions of viewers on social media, earning him a devoted following worldwide.
Born on November 24, 1936, Caprio served as a municipal judge in Providence from 1985 until his retirement in 2023. His courtroom became a symbol of compassion in justice. His most popular videos have been those where he calls children to the bench to help pass judgement on their parents.
“Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the courtroom and beyond,” his family wrote in their tribute. “His warmth, humor, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him.”
With nearly 3.5 million followers on his personal Instagram account and over 16 million on the show’s official page, he used his platform to highlight systemic issues such as the lack of equal access to the judicial system. In one video, he remarked, “The phrase, ‘With liberty and justice for all’ represents the idea that justice should be accessible to everyone. However, it is not.”
Even in the final years of his life, Caprio remained an advocate for fairness. Reflecting on his approach to the bench, he said in 2017: “I hope that people will take away that the institutions of government can function very well by exercising kindness, fairness, and compassion in their deliberations. We live in a very contentious society. I would hope that people will see that we can dispense justice without being oppressive.”
On social media platformX, Gov. Dan McKee called Caprio a “Rhode Island treasure” and ordered that flags in the state be flown at half-mast in his honor.
