Washington: After a long association with Yale University, noted Indian-American writer and journalist Fareed Zakaria has resigned from its governing body to focus on journalistic career.

Zakaria, who received his bachelor's degree from the university, was associated with the Yale Corporation for past six years.

The decision of Zakaria to shed some of his non-journalistic responsibilities has come close on the heels of accusations of plagiarism against him. However, the CNN and the Time magazine have completed their probe into the matter and revoked their month-long suspension slapped on the writer.

"With great sadness, I have decided that I will not be able to serve a second term as a Successor Fellow of the Yale Corporation. I am re-examining my professional life and I have recognised that, in order to focus on the core of my work, I will have to shed some of my other responsibilities," Zakaria informed the Yale University in his resignation letter, according to a university statement yesterday.

Zakaria said his services at Yale is the single largest commitment of time, energy, and attention outside of his writing and television work.

"The work of the Yale Corporation needs and deserves such attention, but I simply do not have the capacity to do it and keep up with my main professional obligations. I intend to do less in other areas as well, but I thought it best to let you know first, so that the Corporation could begin deliberations on a successor," he wrote.

Noting that he came to Yale as a scholarship kid from India in 1982 and instantly fell in love with it, Zakaria said that that affection has never waned.

"I have tried to give back to the university a small measure of what it gave me devoting time, effort, and resources, as best I could. Serving for a term on the Yale Corporation has been an extraordinary opportunity. I have learnt a great deal from it and I will be shaped by this experience forever," Zakaria wrote.

"My colleagues and I are deeply grateful for Fareed Zakaria's generous contribution of time and service to the Yale Corporation these past six years," the Yale University President, Richard C Levin, said after he received Zakaria's resignation.

"His keen intelligence and broad knowledge of world affairs have enlightened our discussions, and his appearances on campus have benefitted our students and faculty. We will miss him as a colleague, a contributor and a friend," Levin said.

Early last week, Levin indicated that the Yale Corporation was in the process of reviewing Zakaria's situation. In light of his resignation, the review has been discontinued, the university said.