Controversial trainee Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar joined the Washim district administration in Maharashtra on July 11 to continue her training, amid ongoing calls for a thorough investigation into her recruitment. Khedkar has faced significant backlash for allegedly seeking special privileges and providing falsified certificates, raising serious questions about her integrity.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Following complaints regarding her behavior, Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim earlier this week. Her arrival in the Washim district has intensified scrutiny over her conduct and the legitimacy of her qualifications. Many officials and members of the public are demanding accountability and clarity about the recruitment process that led to her appointment.
As Khedkar begins her duties in Washim, the situation remains tense, with stakeholders keenly watching her actions and the administration’s response. The need for transparency and ethical standards in the IAS is more critical than ever, prompting discussions about the implications of her case on future recruitment policies. The Washim district administration now faces the challenge of ensuring a smooth training process for Khedkar while addressing the concerns surrounding her presence in the administrative cadre.
Coming from a lineage of bureaucrats.
Thirty-two-year-old Puja Khedkar is a 2023-batch IAS officer who achieved an all-India rank of 841 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam. Hailing from a distinguished family of bureaucrats and politicians in Pathardi tehsil, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, her background is steeped in public service. Puja’s father, Diliprao Khedkar, is a retired officer from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, while her paternal grandfather also held a prominent bureaucratic position.
In addition to her father’s career in administration, Diliprao contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as a candidate for the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), furthering the family’s political engagement. Puja’s mother plays a significant role in local governance as the sarpanch of Bhalgaon, their ancestral village, highlighting the family’s commitment to community leadership.
Puja’s upbringing in a politically active environment has undoubtedly influenced her aspirations and dedication to serving the public. As she embarks on her career in the IAS, her family’s legacy of service and involvement in governance positions her well to navigate the challenges of her new role.
Uncertain Disability Claim
Puja successfully cleared the UPSC examination in 2021, but her journey took a contentious turn when she became embroiled in a legal dispute with the UPSC at the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). The controversy arose after Puja failed to attend a mandated medical examination to validate her disability claim, which included conditions of ‘blindness and mental illness.’ This claim was critical for her to qualify for benefits under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities category.
As part of the investigation, the UPSC requested that Puja undergo a brain MRI to determine the underlying causes of her vision loss in both eyes. In response, she submitted an MRI report from a private facility, which ostensibly supported her disability claims. However, the UPSC rejected this evidence, leading to further complications in her case.
The UPSC contested her selection at the CAT, asserting that her failure to comply with the medical examination requirement undermined the validity of her disability claim. On February 23, 2023, the CAT delivered its verdict, ruling against Puja and upholding the UPSC’s challenge.
Puja’s situation highlights the complex interplay between disability claims and the rigorous standards set by examination bodies like the UPSC. The case raises important questions about the verification of disabilities and the processes involved in ensuring fair treatment for candidates. Despite her initial success in the examination, Puja’s battle underscores the ongoing challenges faced by individuals with disabilities in navigating bureaucratic systems and securing their rightful benefits. This legal confrontation illustrates the need for clarity and fairness in the evaluation processes related to disability and merit in competitive examinations.
Is the OBC certificate fraudulent?
Activists have raised concerns regarding Puja’s status as a member of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) non-creamy layer, claiming that she comes from an affluent family. Pune-based activist Vijay Kumbhar has highlighted discrepancies based on disclosures made by her father, Diliprao, in his election affidavit, which call into question her eligibility for this classification.
Kumbhar argues that Puja does not qualify for the OBC non-creamy layer, citing her father’s significant wealth, which is reported to be around ₹40 crore. According to the guidelines, only individuals whose parents earn less than ₹8 lakh per annum can be considered part of the OBC non-creamy layer. Kumbhar asserts that the evidence clearly shows an income far exceeding this threshold.
He pointed out that Puja’s parents recently contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, and all relevant property details were disclosed in the affidavit they submitted. This public document provides transparency regarding their financial status, further substantiating Kumbhar’s claims about Puja’s ineligibility for OBC benefits.
The controversy surrounding Puja’s OBC status raises important questions about the integrity of the classification system and the potential misuse of benefits intended for economically disadvantaged groups. Activists like Kumbhar are calling for stricter scrutiny and adherence to the rules governing the non-creamy layer status to prevent affluent individuals from exploiting these provisions. This situation underscores the ongoing debate about eligibility criteria and the need for greater accountability in the issuance of caste and income certificates, particularly in competitive examinations and public service recruitment.
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