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Disability Certificates of a Few More IAS IPS IFS Officers Under DoPT Scanner
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has recently cancelled the candidacy of IAS probationer Puja Khedkar after scrutinizing her disability certificate. Sources indicate that the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) is now reviewing medical certificates from six additional civil servants flagged on social media platforms. Among these, five are IAS officers, and one is from the IRS.
The decision to cancel Khedkar’s candidature follows UPSC’s finding that she violated examination rules and guidelines. The UPSC stated, “After a thorough review of the available records, the UPSC determined that Khedkar contravened the CSE-2022 Rules. Her provisional candidature has been annulled, and she has been permanently barred from future UPSC exams and selections.”
In related developments, a Delhi court has denied Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea in a case involving allegations of cheating and forgery. The court has directed the investigation agency to broaden its probe, focusing on candidates who might have exploited benefits beyond their permissible age limit under the OBC quota or those who claimed disability benefits fraudulently.
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The UPSC had initially issued a show-cause notice to Khedkar on July 18 for allegedly bypassing the allowed number of attempts by falsifying her identity. Despite being granted an extension until July 30 to provide an explanation, Khedkar failed to respond within the given timeframe. The DoPT’s statement clarified that her failure to address the allegations has led to her disqualification.
Khedkar had previously contested the UPSC’s decision before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in 2023. Should she appeal the 2024 decision, the commission can argue that she was afforded ample opportunity to present her defense but chose not to.
The UPSC has reviewed data from over 15,000 recommended candidates between 2009 and 2023 and found Khedkar to be the sole individual guilty of violating the exam rules. The commission noted that Khedkar’s attempt to conceal her identity by changing her name and her parents’ names obstructed their Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), which primarily involve preliminary verification of certificate authenticity. The UPSC acknowledged that while it verifies the basic aspects of certificates, it does not have the resources to fully authenticate thousands of certificates each year.