https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Centre Sacks Puja Khedkar From The Indian Administrative Service

Ex-IAS Khedkar was found guilty of cheating and wrongly availing Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quota benefits
Indian Masterminds Stories

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.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Rajesh Aggarwal
Who Is Rajesh Aggarwal? Technocrat IAS Officer Poised to Become Maharashtra’s Next Chief Secretary
bureaucracy news
IPoS Suvendu Kumar Swain Appointed as Member (Personnel), Postal Services Board; IAS Nand Kumarum Gets Additional Charge of MD & CEO, Digital India Corporation
hindustan-copper-ltd-resized
HCL to Celebrate 59th Foundation Day with Global Seminar on Critical Minerals for India’s Growth for Viksit Bharat @ 2047
IRCON
IRCON Appoints Rajesh Naik as Director (Projects) to Lead Strategic Growth and International Expansion
PM Shri Air Tourism Helicopter Service
MP Launches PM Shri Air Tourism Helicopter Service on 70th Foundation Day, Becomes First State in India with Intra-State Air Tourism Connectivity
mcl
Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) Commits Rs 80 Lakh to Enhance Education Infrastructure in Odisha
BEL Bharat Electronics Limited
Bharat Electronics Limited Secures Rs 732 Crore in New Defence Orders, Strengthening India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat Vision
Workshop_on_AI
NTPC Northern Region Hosts Workshop on Artificial Intelligence for Employees and Families in Lucknow
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Former IAS Anil Swarup
Former IAS Anil Swarup Reveals His Secrets of Success
IAS Gokul S
Meet IAS Gokul S — The Officer Who Turned Disability into Determination | Video Interview 
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-23 at 10.40
Everybody Needs To Know What Is Transpiring Behind Closed Doors Of Courts
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Gokul S
Meet IAS Gokul S — The Officer Who Turned Disability into Determination | Video Interview 
Visually impaired IAS officer Gokul S turned his challenges into change, empowering hundreds through...
Parmeshwar Chaudhary RAS
From Taunts to Triumph: How Farmer’s Son Parmeshwar Chaudhary Rose from Lab Assistant to SDM, Securing Rank 3 in RAS 2023
Parmeshwar, once taunted over his SI selection, has scripted a stunning success—securing Rank 3 in RAS...
IAS Rupal Rana UPSC
How Rupal Rana Cracked UPSC CSE 2023 with AIR 26 After Four Attempts
UPSC Topper Rupal Rana secured AIR 26 in 2023 after four attempts. Learn her preparation strategy, booklist,...
Social Media
Tenzin Yangki IPS Arunachal
Historic First: Who Is Tenzin Yangki, Arunachal Pradesh’s First Woman to Join IPS? Anand Mahindra Hails Her
She secured an impressive 545th rank in the prestigious UPSC Civil Services Examination - 2022.
IFS Parveen Kaswan
Heartbreak by the River: 15-Day-Old Elephant Calf Rejected by Mother, Rescued by IFS Parveen Kaswan and His Team
Jaldapra, West Bengal: In a moving incident that tugs at the heart, a 15-day-old elephant calf was rescued...
Ashwini Bhide IAS and Anand Mahindra
Who Is IAS Ashwini Bhide, Hailed as a Role Model for Mumbai Metro Transformation by Anand Mahindra?
From heritage to high-tech: Bhide’s leadership in Metro Line 3 earns public praise and admiration
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Rajesh Aggarwal
Who Is Rajesh Aggarwal? Technocrat IAS Officer Poised to Become Maharashtra’s Next Chief Secretary
bureaucracy news
IPoS Suvendu Kumar Swain Appointed as Member (Personnel), Postal Services Board; IAS Nand Kumarum Gets Additional Charge of MD & CEO, Digital India Corporation
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Former IAS Anil Swarup
IAS Gokul S
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-23 at 10.40
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT