UPSC Chairman Manoj Soni Submits Resignation before Term End

UPSC Chairman Manoj Soni Submits Resignation before Term Ends

UPSC is an independent constitutional body and is directly created by constitution. It is stated in Part XIV and under Article 315 and 323. Check details of UPSC here.

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UPSC Chairman Manoj Soni submits resignation

Manoj Soni, who served as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), submitted his resignation on 20th July 2024. This development marks a significant change in leadership at the UPSC, which is responsible for conducting prestigious examinations such as the Civil Services Examination (CSE) among others in India.

UPSC Chairman Manoj Soni resigned from his position, stating “personal reasons” in his resignation letter, nearly five years ahead of the scheduled end of his term. According to PTI sources, Soni submitted his resignation approximately two weeks ago, although it has not yet been accepted by senior officials. The resignation, sources emphasized, is unrelated to recent controversies and allegations involving the UPSC, notably the case of probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar.

Soni, who took office as UPSC Chairman on May 16, 2023, with a tenure scheduled until May 15, 2029, expressed a desire to step down early despite having initially been reluctant to assume the role when appointed. Officials indicated that Soni now wishes to focus more on “socio-religious activities.”

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

Article 315 of the Indian Constitution outlines the idea of a public service commission for both the state and the union. Additionally, Article 315(2) states that if two States agree to form a single Public Service Commission, they must do so following the passage of a resolution to that effect.

On October 1st, 1926, the First Public Service Commission was founded with Sir Ross Barker as its chairman. Additionally, it was only given a limited advisory function, something that the head of the independence movement frequently emphasised. The Government of India Act, 1935 was enacted as a result, creating the Federal Public Service Commission. It was later given constitutional standing under the Indian Constitution on January 26, 1950.

About Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Particulars	Details
Union Public Service Commission As a	Constitutional Body
Part	It is mentioned under Part XIV of the Constitution
Article	It is mentioned under Article 315 – 323
Union Public Service Commission Chairman	The Current Chairman is Dr. Manoj Soni (currently submits resignation)
Initially Established Under	Under the Government of India Act 1919 Central Public Service Commission was setup in 1926 and provided with the task of recruiting civil servants. Government of India Act 1935 provided for the establishment of Federal Public Service Commission, Provincial Public Service Commission and Joint Public Service Commission.

Articles for UPSC

UPSC is an independent constitutional body as it has directly been created as per the constitution. It has been mentioned in Part XIV and under Articles 315 and 323 containing detailed and elaborated provisions regarding the composition, appointment as well as removal of the member of UPSC including their independence, function and power of UPSC. Check the articles of UPSC below:

Union Public Service Commission Article
Article	Provisions
Article 315	Public Service Commissions for the Union and for the states
Article 316	Appointment and term of office of members
Article 317	Removal and suspension of a member of a Public Service Commission
Article 318	Power to make regulations as to conditions of service of members and staff of the Commission.
Article 319	Prohibition as to the holding of office by members of the commission on ceasing to be such members
Article 320	Functions of Public Service Commissions
Article 321	Power to extend functions of Public Service Commissions
Article 322	Expenses of Public Service Commissions
Article 323	Reports of Public Service Commissions

Functions of Union Public Service Commission

The Commission must be consulted on all matters involving the employment of civil servants and positions, as per Article 320 of the Indian Constitution. The Commission’s duties are listed under Article 320 of the Constitution as follows:

The creation and modification of recruitment regulations for different services and positions under government.
Officers are appointed based on promotions, deputies, or absorptions.
Disciplinary matters involving several Civil Services.
Direct hiring followed by interview selection.
Advising the government on any issue that the commission has been asked to look into by the president of India.

Constitutional Provisions of UPSC

The other important constitutional provisions in relation to UPSC as Eligibility, Tenure, Appointment and Criteria of Removal of the member of UPSC have been discussed below in the table:

Particulars	Details of the Provision
Appointment, Eligibility and Tenure	Article 316 states the appointment and the tenure of the members. For Union or Joint Commission, Article 316(1) states that the Chairman and other members be appointed by the President. Article 316(2) states, a member must be 65 years old to serve in UPSC and must serve for a minimum of six years after being appointed.
Independence of UPSC Member	Security of Tenure as they can only be removed as per the provisions of the constitution Their service condition cannot be changed to the disadvantage of UPSC Members. Salary is charged to the Consolidated Fund of India and can’t be put to vote in Parliament. Member of UPSC can be re-appointed within UPS/SPSC, but bared of other employment.
Removal Criteria for UPSC Member	Article 317 states about the removal and suspension of a member of UPSC. The chairman or other member of the UPSC can only be removed by the President on grounds of misbehaviour after the Supreme Court has conducted an inquiry by the procedure prescribed in Article 145 after the President has referred the matter to it. Article 317(2) permits the President to suspend the Chairman or member of the UPSC.
Recruitment Rules for UPSC	According to Article 319 of the Indian Constitution, a member of a committee is prohibited from holding office after ceasing to be a member.

Union Public Service Commission FAQs

What is the Article 315?

It states about Public Service Commissions for the Union and for the States.

What is Article 315 to 323 of UPSC?

Articles 315 to 323 in Part XIV of the Constitution of India provides for the establishment of Public Service Commission for the Union and a Public Service Commission for each State.