The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Wednesday canceled the provisional candidature of controversial trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar and prevented her from taking any future commission tests, according to officials.
Puja Khedkar accused of misusing disability and OBC quotas
Puja Khedkar is accused of misusing the handicap and Other Backward Class (non-creamy layer) quotas to get a spot in the civil service exam.
UPSC made the announcement after conducting a thorough evaluation of Puja Khedkar’s eligibility and the circumstances surrounding her application. The commission found her guilty of breaking the regulations of the 2022 Civil Services Examination (CSE).
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“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 the future Examinations/Selections of the UPSC,” an official statement by UPSC read.
UPSC panel highlights a Show Cause Notice (SCN) was issued to Puja on July 18
In its statement, the UPSC panel further stated that Puja Khedkar was issued a Show Cause Notice (SCN) on July 18 for illegally availing of tries over the acceptable limit provided for in the examination regulations by “faking her identity”.
However, the deadline was later extended by July 30 and the commission made it clear that it was the “final opportunity” and “no further extension in time” would be allowed.
“Despite the extension in time allowed to her, she failed to submit her explanation within the prescribed time,” the members of the panel stated.
