Dr Manoj Soni has been appointed as chairman of Union Public Service Commission. His term will last till June 27, 2023. This makes him the first Gujarati to be appointed to the post.
Prior to this, Dr Soni has been the vice-chancellor thrice. These include two terms as chancellor of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University and one term as chancellor of Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. Interestingly, Dr Soni’s Baroda appointment made him the youngest ever vice-chancellor of a varsity in India.
The formal appointment of Dr Soni will follow the return of the President Kovind from Netherlands. In this role, he succeeds current incumbent Pradeep Kumar Joshi.
Dr Soni has been the recipient of several awards and honors. A political science graduate, Dr Soni opted for a Masters in international relations at Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar.
To his credit, he has served on the governing boards of several institutions of higher education and public administration in the past. He has also been a member of the quasi-judicial body constituted by the Gujarat Legislative Assembly Act.
