UPSC cancels Puja Khedkar's candidature, debars her from all future exams, selections

In a major blow to controversial IAS trainee Puja Khedkar, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Wednesday cancelled her provisional candidature and permanently debarred her from all the future exams/selections.

The UPSC said the decision was taken after careful examination of the available records which found Puja Khedkar guilty of acting in contravention of the provisions of the civil services examination (CSE)-2022 Rules.

“Puja Khedkar’s provisional candidature for the CSE-2022 has been cancelled and she has also been debarred permanently from all the future Examinations/Selections of the UPSC,” the Commission said.

Puja Khedkar availed more number of attempts than permitted

The UPSC also said that in the backdrop of Puja Khedkar case, the commission has thoroughly examined the available data of more than 15,000 finally recommended candidates of the CSEs between 2009 to 2023, that is, for 15 years with respect to the number of attempts availed by them.

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“After this detailed exercise, barring the case of Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, no other candidate has been found to have availed more number of attempts than permitted under the CSE Rules,” the UPSC said.

Why UPSC system could not detect Puja Khedkar’s malpractice

The UPSC said its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) could not detect Puja Khedkar’s number of attempts primarily due to the fact that she not only changed her name in the application, but also her parents’ name and therefore, the system could not detect the malpractice.

“The UPSC is in the process of further strengthening the SOP to ensure that such a case does not recur in the future,” the commission further said.

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What about Puja Khedkar’s disability certificate?

Responding to the controversy surrounding Puja Khedkar’s fake disability and caste certificates (specifically OBC and PwBD categories) that she had submitted, the UPSC clarified that “it does only a preliminary scrutiny of the certificates viz. whether the certificate has been issued by the competent authority, the year to which the certificate pertains, issuing date of the certificate, whether there is any overwriting on the certificate, format of the certificate etc.”

“Generally, the certificate is taken as genuine, if it has been issued by the competent authority,” the UPSC said.

The commission further said that it neither has the mandate nor the wherewithal to check the veracity of thousands of certificates submitted by the candidates every year. “However, it is understood that scrutiny and verification of genuineness of certificates is carried out by the authorities mandate with the task,” it added.

On July 18, 2024, the UPSC had issued a show cause notice to 34-year-old Puja Khedkar, a provisionally recommended candidate of the CSE 2022 for fraudulently availing attempts beyond the permissible limit provided for in the Examination Rules by faking her identity.

The commission said that Puja Khedkar was to submit her response to the SCN by July 25, 2024. However, she requested for further time till August 4, 2024 so that she could gather the necessary documents for her response.

After carefully considering her request and in order to meet the ends of justice, Puja Khedkar was granted time till 3:30 pm of July 30, 2024 so as to enable her to submit the response to the SCN. “It was also categorically made clear to Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar that it was last and final opportunity to her and no further extension in time would be allowed. It was also conveyed to her in unequivocal terms that if no response was received by the aforesaid date/time, the UPSC would take further action without entertaining any further reference from her. Despite extension in time allowed to her, she failed to submit her explanation within the prescribed time,” the UPSC said.

Puja Khedkar and her controversies

Troubles for Puja Khedkar’s began in June when Pune Collector Suhas Diwase wrote to Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, pointing out the demand for perks including car, staff and an office she was not entitled to during her two-year probation, made by Puja Khedkar, who was just a trainee IAS officer.

Soon after, Puja Khedkar was transferred to Washim.

Problems grew after her selection for IAS came under the spotlight and it was found that she had availed relaxed criteria for OBC candidates and persons with disabilities.

It also came to fore that her father, Dilip Khedkar, a former officer in Maharashtra government, had property to the tune of 40 crores and she did not qualify for the OBC non-creamy layer tag.

Not just this, it also emerged that Puja Khedkar had not appeared for a mandatory health check-up at a government facility to confirm her exemption for disability.