New Delhi: The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has asked the Rajasthan government to verify the authenticity of the Income and Asset (I&A) certificate submitted by an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who secured a place in the Civil Services Examination 2021 under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota.
The officer, a Rajasthan domicile currently posted in the Madhya Pradesh cadre after being selected for the IAS in 2022, is now under scrutiny following a complaint lodged by Pune-based activist Vijay Kumbhar.
In a communication dated May 5, the DoPT directed the Rajasthan government to examine the veracity of the EWS certificate submitted by the officer and submit its findings. The correspondence was also marked to the Madhya Pradesh government, given the officer’s current cadre posting.
Widening Investigation into Reservation Misuse
This case is part of a broader probe being carried out by the DoPT into allegations of fraudulent use of reserved category certificates by civil service aspirants. Kumbhar, who had earlier flagged the high-profile case of former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, dismissed in 2024 for allegedly submitting fake PwBD and OBC certificates, claimed that at least 15 serving officers across services are under investigation for similar misconduct.
“These officers belong to prestigious services such as IAS, IPS, IFS, and IRS,” Kumbhar said, adding that his initial representations to the President of India in 2024 were met with silence until he pursued the matter through Right to Information (RTI) applications.
According to him, his complaint concerns 22 candidates who allegedly submitted questionable certificates under categories like EWS, PwBD, OBC-NCL, SC, and ST between 2015 and 2023.
DoPT’s Vigilance Following Public Pressure
The DoPT, which is the cadre-controlling authority for IAS officers, has come under increasing public scrutiny, especially following viral social media posts that questioned the physical disability claims of some officers. These posts featured officers who had declared themselves as physically disabled participating in sports and dance activities – seemingly contradicting their official medical declarations.
In response, on July 26, 2024, the DoPT launched an inquiry into six civil servants, including probationers, to re-assess their disability claims. These included officers from the 2010, 2014, 2019, 2020, and 2021 batches.
Call for Transparency in Cadre Allocations
Commenting on the issue, former IAS officer Sanjeev Gupta has advocated for more transparency in cadre allocations. He stated that category details such as EWS and PwBD should be made visible against officers’ names in cadre allotment lists – a practice currently followed only for SC/ST categories.
“The current probe, spanning Civil Services Examination candidates over nearly a decade, highlights a pattern of misuse that can no longer be dismissed as isolated or exceptional,” Kumbhar emphasized.
Implications
If proven, such misrepresentations may not only lead to cancellation of appointments but also trigger legal action under provisions of fraud and impersonation. The ongoing scrutiny could also lead to stricter verification protocols and more stringent vetting mechanisms for future civil service aspirants.
