Centre has expelled Puja Khedkar from IAS for alleged misuse of OBC and disability quota benefits in exams
The government has expelled ex-trainee officer Puja Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) right away for alleged misuse of OBC and disability quota benefits in civil service examinations.
According to the official decree issued on September 6, Khedkar was released in accordance with Rule 12 of IAS (Probation) Rules, 1954. This regulation allows for termination due to a probationary employee being deemed unfit to join the workforce.
Until 2020-21, Khedkar took the exam using the alias ‘Puja Diliprao Khedkar’ under the OBC reservation. In 2021-22, after trying everything, she took the exam again under the OBC and PwBD quotas – this time with the name ‘Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar’. She achieved a rank of 821 in the exam and passed successfully.
On July 11, a committee consisting of only one member was established to authenticate her candidacy statements, and a report was handed in on July 24.
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After acknowledging the single-member committee report’s findings and conclusions, the government conducted a summary inquiry following Rule 12 of IAS (Probation) Rules, 1954, ensuring Khedkar had a fair opportunity.
“It is seen that Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar applied and appeared for the CSE between 2012 to 2023. As per the information submitted by Puja in her Civil Services Examination (CSE) application forms between CSE-2012 and CSE-2023, it is seen that she had availed more attempts at the Civil Services Examination than the maximum permissible number of nine attempts in her claimed category (OBC and PwBD), which she had exhausted by attempting the Civil Services Examinations between 2012 and 2020 i.e., prior to the CSE-2022 itself,” the order said.
