Manju Sharma educational qualifications: How this PhD scholar became an RPSC member and why she quit after the SI paper leak

Manju Sharma, a member of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) and wife of poet and former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas, has resigned from her post following strong judicial observations over the 2021 Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment paper leak.

Her decision to step down has drawn attention not only to the controversy but also to her professional journey.

Beyond the headlines, who is Manju Sharma? A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) scholar and professor by training, her academic career shaped the path that led her to one of Rajasthan’s most influential constitutional bodies.

An academic foundation in geography

Manju Sharma’s career has its roots in higher education. She holds a PhD and a Master of Arts (MA) in Geography, disciplines that demand rigorous research, analytical skills, and an understanding of spatial and social structures.

Her academic training shaped her reputation as a meticulous scholar, long before she entered the realm of state service.Her classroom presence was as important as her research. Manju Sharma worked as an Associate Professor at MSJ Postgraduate College in Bharatpur, where she combined teaching with academic mentorship. For years, she guided students through geography’s intersections with society, economy, and environment, building an identity rooted firmly in academia.

From professor to public service

In October 2020, Manju Sharma transitioned from the world of higher education to the Rajasthan Public Service Commission. The appointment, made during the Congress government’s tenure, marked a significant career shift. Her academic qualifications and long teaching experience gave her credibility as a member of a body that oversees recruitment for critical state services.However, her appointment was not without political debate, largely because of her association with Kumar Vishwas, a founding member of the Aam Aadmi Party and an outspoken critic of the Congress leadership.

Despite this, Sharma’s tenure began with expectations that her academic background would bring impartiality and diligence to the commission’s proceedings.

The resignation and its context

Manju Sharma’s six-year tenure was scheduled to run until October 2026. Instead, it ended prematurely this week, after the Rajasthan High Court cancelled the 2021 Sub-Inspector recruitment process, describing the conduct of the RPSC as “a betrayal of public trust.”While Manju Sharma maintained in her resignation letter that she had always worked with “utmost transparency and honesty” and that no investigation had named her as an accused, she acknowledged that the controversy had damaged her reputation and that of the commission.

She chose to step down “in the interest of maintaining impartiality and credibility.”

Lessons beyond politics

Manju Sharma’s exit has brought renewed focus on the connection between education, governance, and institutional trust. Her academic path, from a PhD in geography to a faculty position and eventually to a constitutional body, illustrates how scholarly credentials can translate into administrative responsibility. Yet it also highlights the vulnerabilities of institutions when integrity is questioned.For students and young professionals, her journey offers two lessons: First, that educational qualifications can open doors far beyond traditional classrooms; and second, that personal integrity and institutional credibility remain inseparable, no matter the academic achievements that precede them.