Putting an end to the perpetual saga, the Centre has finally decided to dismiss the controversial IAS trainee, Ms. Puja Khedkar, from her service. The development took place a month after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) cancelled her selection in one of the most sought-after branches of government service. The Centre, vide order dated September 6th, 2024, discharged Ms. Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service under Rule 12 of IAS (Probation) Rules, 1954, with immediate effect.
The rules allow the central government to discharge probationers from service if they fail “to pass the re-examination…” or “if the central government is satisfied that the probationer was ineligible for recruitment to the Service or is unsuitable for being a member of the Service.“
Ex-IAS Khedkar was found guilty of cheating and wrongly availing Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quota benefits. After cancelling her selection, the UPSC restricted her from taking the UPSC CSE for life.
In the backdrop of the fake-certificate saga making it to the headlines, the UPSC looked into the data of more than 15,000 candidates who cleared the IAS screening process between 2009 and 2023. The apex central government recruiting agency stated, “After this detailed exercise, barring the case of Ms Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, no other candidate has been found to have availed more number of attempts than permitted under the CSE Rules.“
Who Is Puja Khedkar?
Ms. Puja Khedkar, a 2022 batch ex-IAS officer under training, became a subject of intense discourse over the internet and national television after allegations arose that she had lied about her mental and visual condition, through “fraudulently” obtained certificates from the District Civil Hospital in Ahmednagar, to secure an officer’s post despite an unremarkable score in the ultra-competitive qualifying exam. Khedkar was “diagnosed” with Locomotor Disability and a 7% permanent disability concerning her left lower limb. She also obtained a second certificate, which covered both low vision and mental illness (depression).
The conundrum was fueled when it was learned that Khedkar, while going through the selection process for an IAS post, had refused to undergo a mandatory medical test to confirm her disabilities six times in a row! It is pertinent to mention that she secured an All India Rank of 821 under the Physical Disability (PWD-5) category in the 2022 UPSC exams.
The entire fiasco unfurled after she made demands for a separate cabin and staff during her Pune posting. She demanded a red-blue beacon light, a VIP number plate, along with a ‘Maharashtra government’ board affixed to her private Audi car and other shenanigans while being posted as the Super Numerary Assistant Collector in Pune.
