https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Several Bureaucrats Speak Up About “Puja Khedkar Fake Certificate” Saga

IPS Syam Sundar (2005 batch), the Police Commissioner of Kochi, labelled the entire fiasco to be rather "unfortunate"
Indian Masterminds Stories

Several distinguished bureaucrats have broken their silence about the ‘Puja Khedkar Fake Certificate Saga’ after the Union Public Service Commission initiated multiple actions against Khedkar, including filing a FIR with the police and issuing a Show Cause Notice to cancel her candidature for the Civil Services Examination 2022 and to bar her from future examinations and selections.

IPS Alok Kumar (1994 batch), the incumbent ADGP for Training, Traffic, and Road Safety in Karnataka, stated, “It was a long-awaited action. UPSC is the last bastion of meritorious students. Meritorious students in this country have high hopes for UPSC.” Mr. Kumar suggested that candidates claiming special abilities should be examined by an independent medical board to minimise manipulation.

IPS Rahul Hegde (2014 batch), presently posted as DCP Traffic in Telangana, observed, “There should be zero tolerance for such blatant misuse. Not only is it fraudulent, but it is also taking the opportunity away from someone who deserves it. The fact that it got this far in spite of the verification process casts doubt on the entire process. The action is right, but it is also necessary to look into those who provided the false certificates to begin with.”

IPS Syam Sundar (2005 batch), the Police Commissioner of Kochi, labelled the entire fiasco to be rather “unfortunate.”

IPS D Roopa Moudgil (2000 batch) categorically explained how the entire conundrum affected society in a larger context. She said, “In 2005, when the government introduced a quota for the physically disabled in civil services, it was a welcome move. But over the years, unfortunately, by misuse of this quota, the real empowerment of the physically disabled has not occurred fully.”

She continued, “How the misuse happens is, for example, if a candidate claims physical disability and UPSC/DoPT rejects that based on the medical examination, then, the candidate approaches courts and gets a favourable order. In some such cases, the DoPT has never gone up to the Apex Court, appeals against the orders of the lower court or the high court. This leaves a big room for misuse by the candidates.”

Puja Khedkar, a 2022 batch IAS officer under training, has become 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. Last week, the Union government established a one-member committee to verify Khedkar’s candidature and instructed it to submit a report within two weeks.

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
NTPC
NTPC Undertakes Major CSR Initiatives in Bhubaneswar and Farakka to Boost Healthcare and Girl Empowerment - Details Inside
BEL BEML MoU
BEL & BEML Sign MoU for Strategic Collaboration to Enhance Leadership & Technical Expertise - Details Inside
IRCON
IRCON Awards Rs 101.55 Crore Contract to HBL Engineering for Kavach Installation in South Western Railway
Punjab_govt_resized
15 IAS, IFS, and PCS Officers in Major Bureaucratic Reshuffle in Punjab, Senior IAS Bhawna Garg Made Principal Secy, Jails  
hindustan-copper-ltd-resized
CMD Sanjiv Kumar Singh Gets Additional Charge as Director (Finance) at Hindustan Copper Ltd - Know More About Him
Bank of Baroda
Prajith Kumar D Takes Charge as General Manager and Zonal Head of Bank of Baroda's Ernakulam Zone
Vikram Singh Mehta Retired IAS
Who is Former IAS Officer Vikram Singh Mehta Appointed as Chairman of IndiGo? Here is All You Need to Know
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services (IAS)
Controversy Erupts Over IAS Officer’s Remarks on Student Cleaning Duties in Telangana Welfare Schools - Know the Matter
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
Modernising Governance: A Digital Transformation in Gangtok
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Abhishek Singh's SECRET: Vipassana, Anthropology & Smart Answer Writing | Video Interview 
Madhav Agarwal UPSC
From Gwalior to the Top 20: What Drove Finance Pro Madhav Agarwal to Crack UPSC CSE 2024 with AIR 16? | Exclusive
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Mayank Malviya IFS mENTOR
The Amazing Journey of a Failed IFS Aspirant-cum-Mentor Who Has Given More Than 130 Selections in Just 4 Years
From multiple UPSC failures to mentoring 130+ successful aspirants, Mayank Malviya’s Planet Geo empowers...
Anjali Sondhiya UPSC IFS (1)
Engaged in 10th, 8 Years of Preparation, How This IFS Topper Cracked the UPSC: Anjali Sondhiya’s Journey - A Lesson For Every Girl
Anjali Sondhiya defied early engagement and societal pressure to crack UPSC’s IFS exam-2024 with AIR...
Kanika Anabh IFS Topper 2024
Kanika Anabh: How This JNU Graduate Beat the Odds to Become India’s Forest Service-2024 Topper
Kanika Anabh from Ranchi overcame three UPSC failures with disciplined study and smart strategies to...
Social Media
parveen kaswan elephant
Elephant Outsmarts Electric Fence! IFS Parveen Kaswan Shares Incredible Video!
In the now-viral 51-second clip, the intelligent giant approaches a wooden pole supporting high-voltage...
UPSC Latest IAS IPS IFS
UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 Tomorrow: ICLS Officer Altap Shaikh Shares Last-Minute Motivation for Aspirants
His five-post thread offers encouragement, practical advice, and emotional support - not just for those...
Anupam Sharma IFS
#BoycottTurkey: IFS Officer Anupam Sharma Sparks Nationalist Call to Action
IFS Sharma urged citizens to avoid Turkish agricultural imports
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
NTPC
NTPC Undertakes Major CSR Initiatives in Bhubaneswar and Farakka to Boost Healthcare and Girl Empowerment - Details Inside
BEL BEML MoU
BEL & BEML Sign MoU for Strategic Collaboration to Enhance Leadership & Technical Expertise - Details Inside
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Madhav Agarwal UPSC
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT