Centre Sacks Controversial Officer Puja Khedkar From IAS

The Centre has discharged Puja Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect. This decision follows the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) cancelling her selection a month ago.

Ms. Khedkar was found guilty of cheating and wrongly availing Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quota benefits. After cancelling her selection, the UPSC barred her from taking the entrance exam for life.

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The UPSC discovered that she had faked her identity to take the exam multiple times. In response to the controversy, the UPSC reviewed the data of more than 15,000 candidates who passed the IAS screening process from 2009 to 2023. The commission stated, “After this detailed exercise, barring the case of Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, no other candidate has been found to have availed more attempts than permitted under the CSE Rules.”

Ms. Khedkar’s troubles began in June when Pune Collector Suhas Diwase reported her to Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik. He flagged concerns about her demands for perks such as a car, staff, and an office during her two-year probation, which she was not entitled to. Subsequently, Ms. Khedkar was transferred to Washim.

During the ensuing controversy, her IAS selection came under scrutiny. It was revealed that she had benefited from relaxed criteria for OBC candidates and persons with disabilities. Additionally, it was discovered that her father, a former Maharashtra government officer, owned property worth ₹40 crore, disqualifying her from the OBC non-creamy layer tag.

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