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.
