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A viral video of Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) officer Priyanka Kadam dancing during an event has created widespread outrage, with everyone questioning the genuineness of her appointment on the bone-impaired disability quota. People have questioned her physical health on social media, suggesting that her dance and running abilities in the clip are contradictory to her claim of disability.
Priyanka Kadam, a recruit under the orthopedic disability quota, has defended herself by presenting her medical reports. She says both her legs are severely damaged and that she has had several operations, including having rods inserted. Kadam explained that she could dance with the help of painkillers and that taking part in such actions does not mean she is no longer disabled.
Even after her clarification, the viral clip has brought back controversies surrounding the transparency of the MPPSC recruitment process, especially the way disability quotas are implemented. Activist Radhe Jat demanded an independent probe, hinting that Kadam’s case was not unique but part of a larger trend of suspected abuse of disability quotas in public service exams.
मध्य प्रदेश लोक सेवा आयोग की भर्ती में धांधली के आरोप लगे हैं। नेशनल एजुकेटेड यूथ यूनियन का दावा है कि दिव्यांग कोटे से भर्ती हुई प्रियंका कदम का चयन गलत है। सोशल मीडिया पर प्रियंका के डांस वीडियो वायरल हो रहे हैं। @NavbharatTimes #NBTMP #PriyankaKadam pic.twitter.com/9qogBzNt8Y
Advertisement · Scroll to continue— NBTMadhyapradesh (@NBTMP) February 14, 2025
Claims of Misuse of Quotas
The Priyanka Kadam controversy is strikingly similar to that of former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused of fudging her category to gain both disability and OBC benefits. The Supreme Court’s examination of the Khedkar case has already raised questions about potential loopholes and mismanagement in the quota system. Kadam’s case has now added further fuel to the debate, with critics calling for stricter checks to avoid suspected fraud.
Kadam’s family background also injects another aspect into the discussion. Having belonged to a small family—father a tea seller and mother a tailor, she had struggled to obtain a job in the government sector. Having cleared several competitive exams in years past, including jobs in both central and state government departments as an audit officer and lately that of a district excise officer, she finds herself on stage with these children.
She alleges her disability resulted from a 2017 accident and the treatment that lasted until 2021. Defying medical hitches, she continued education as well as pursued career dreams. She is adamant that criticism around her is undeserved, on grounds that disabling oneself from society doesn’t negate the possibility of a full, productive life, including dancing for entertainment every now and then.
Social media responses have been divided. While some are in favor of Kadam, believing that disabled individuals should not be denied the right to express themselves, others think that her physical activities are a contradiction to her assertion of being 45% disabled. The National Educated Youth Union (NEYU) has even accused mass irregularities in the MPPSC 2022 recruitment process, demanding a thorough probe into disability quota choices.
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