Following the Pooja Khedkar fake certificate case, the UPSC has received over 30 complaints accusing selected candidates of misrepresenting their credentials. The UPSC has forwarded these complaints to the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) and reports suggest that stringent action will be taken if the allegations are substantiated.
The Union government is actively discussing measures to curb the misuse of disability criteria and quotas by candidates, with multiple meetings being held on the matter. It has been revealed that many of Pooja Khedkar’s batchmates at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie were aware of her alleged abuse of the disability quota but failed to report it.
As of now, the DoPT and LBSNAA are reportedly developing a protocol to address these shortcomings and enable better identification of serious concerns. Meanwhile, the UPSC has updated its software and protocols to prevent fraud involving the changing of names. The new system can now detect if a candidate’s name, linked to their date of birth, is altered between attempts.
It is pertinent to mention that the Centre has finally decided to dismiss the controversial IAS trainee, Ms. Puja Khedkar.
