The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has cancelled the disability certificate of IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, citing violations of examination rules. This decision has prompted a broader scrutiny by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), which is now investigating the medical certificates of six other civil servants flagged on social media.
Of the six civil servants under scrutiny, five are from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and one from the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). Khedkar’s candidature was annulled after the UPSC found her guilty of contravening the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 rules.
“The UPSC has examined the available records carefully and found her guilty of acting in contravention of the provisions of the CSE-2022 Rules. Her provisional candidature for the CSE-2022 has been cancelled, and she has also been debarred permanently from all future Examinations/Selections of the UPSC,” the DoPT stated.
In a related development, a Delhi court rejected Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea in a case of cheating and forgery. The court emphasized the need for a broader investigation, instructing the agency to scrutinize candidates who might have illegitimately availed benefits beyond the permissible age limit under the OBC quota or claimed Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) benefits without entitlement.
The UPSC had issued a show cause notice to Khedkar on July 18 for “fraudulently availing attempts beyond the permissible limit provided for in the Examination Rules by faking her identity”. Despite receiving an extension until July 30 to submit her explanation, Khedkar failed to respond within the given timeframe.
Khedkar’s 2023 challenge against the UPSC’s decision before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) could be cited by the commission in any further appeals, as evidence that she was given ample opportunity to present her case but chose not to.
The UPSC has asserted that it has meticulously reviewed data from over 15,000 candidates recommended from 2009 to 2023. Khedkar was the only candidate found guilty of violating the examination rules by availing more attempts than permitted. The commission revealed that Khedkar circumvented detection by changing her name and her parents’ names, thereby exploiting the system’s good faith.
The UPSC clarified that its preliminary scrutiny of certificates is primarily concerned with the issuing authority, date, and format, and generally assumes the certificates to be genuine if issued by a competent authority. The commission does not have the resources to verify the authenticity of thousands of certificates submitted each year.