New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday expressed concern over the sudden resignation of UPSC chairman Manoj Soni amid allegations of malpractices being faced by the top exam body in the country and demanded that the Supreme Court probe the matter.
The resignation of Soni came a good five years before his tenure was supposed to end in 2029 and had been questioned by former Congress chief and present Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in 2022, who had alleged that the appointment was a BJP/RSS’s interference in the top examination body.
The resignation of Soni raised eyebrows within the main opposition party as it came amid the UPSC probing the candidature of IAS probationer Puja Khedkar and allegations that the sanctity of the exam was compromised in several other cases as well.
“This is a very serious matter. The UPSC exam system seems to have been eroded. There have been allegations of wrongdoing in the recent past and now the chairman suddenly resigns. Though he may resign anytime this has created doubts in the minds of the people. I don’t think the government is going to do it hence the Supreme Court must take suo motu notice and probe the matter so that the sanctity of the top exam body is restored,” former Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily told ETV Bharat.
“The Civil Service is known as the steel frame that runs the country and if the credibility of this system gets eroded it is not good for the nation. Lakhs of students work hard to get into the coveted services, but only a handful go through,” he said. Senior Congress leaders, who are former civil servants also questioned the sudden resignation of UPSC chairman Manoj Soni.
“Whenever we question the government, there is a new story which they start circulating in the media. How does Puja Khedkar get recruited… based on a medical certificate? I have also taken the UPSC exam. The only medical certificate acceptable in the UPSC was either from the All-India Institute of Medical Science or GB Pant Hospital when you went for your final interview after selection. This was the standard UPSC rule,” ex-IPS officer and AICC in-charge of Odisha Ajoy Kumar told ETV Bharat.
“I am telling you, you will know, what a fraud the RSS, BJP combine is doing. You see the interview marks of all the relations, including the gentleman, who is right now in the Lok Sabha. Please, get all the marks of all the politicians and it is available under RTI. They have to give you the interview marks of all the relations of the Bharatiya Janata Party and you will see how they have manipulated the system,” he pointed out.
The AICC functionary said the system was being hollowed through undue interference in institutions.
“When the IAS and IPS are not secure, then what is left behind? Rahul Gandhi has been talking about interference in institutions. If you make a list of such names, you will know what kind of IAS and IPS officers are getting selected and how the system is becoming hollow. There was only one exam, which we all trusted and now that is also gone, thanks to BJP,” said Kumar.
“At a time when the country’s top recruitment body UPSC is under scrutiny after trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s episode, its chairman Manoj Soni has suddenly resigned. His resignation is five years before his tenure expires in the year 2029 leaving the body headless. LoP Rahul Gandhi has consistently raised the hollowing out of Indian institutions by RSS appointees,” said deputy Congress leader in the Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi.
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