UPSC Alleges that the Selection of Trainee IAS Officer Puja Khedkar be Cancelled

UPSC moves to cancel trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar's selection for alleged identity fraud and disability misrepresentation. Khedkar faces charges of forgery, while her parents are embroiled in separate legal issues. UPSC reaffirms commitment to maintaining selection integrity.

The UPSC has released a notice of the cancellation of selection of trainee IAS officer, Puja Khedkar, due to identity fraud and false representation. The 23-year-old has been charged with perjury regarding her visual and mental impairment besides having cheated the authorities and the public regarding her identity by providing fake names of her parents in order to pass the Civil Services entrance examination.

In a UPSC notification that was released on Friday, UPSC accused Khedkar of “fraudulently availing attempts beyond the permissible limit. ” The commission has taken numerous actions against her including Delhi Police filing charges on her for forgery under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the IT Act.

Of late, the UPSC has served a show cause notice on Khedkar demanding her reasons why her candidature should not be cancelled. Depending upon her reply, she may be barred from writing any entrance examination in the future.

This action was taken after the Maharashtra government forwarded some documents to the Department of Personnel and Training, which includes papers that doubt Khedkar’s claim of physical disability and OBC status. Another scandal which has been highlighted in the report is the alleged abuse of power during her first assignment as Assistant Collector in Pune.

It has also been alleged that he procured fake disability certificates to get through the IAS with a modest all-India rank of 841. She is said to have tried seeking these certificates from various hospitals but was able to get it from one in Pipri.

The case has continued to evolve with twists and turns, including the incarceration of Khedkar’s parents for other crimes. Manorama Khedkar, her mother, has been arrested on charges of attempting to murder her, whereas her father Dilip Khedkar is suspected of having accumulated disproportionate assets.

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Khedkar has been withdrawn from her posting as the divisional commissioner of Washim to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie as the probe remains ongoing. Nonetheless, the UPSC remains steadfast in ensuring that its selection processes embody the principles of “trust and credibility”.