UPSC cancels Puja Khedkar's candidature, permanently debars her
In light of this incident, the UPSC reviewed the records of over 15,000 candidates recommended from 2009 to 2023. No other candidates were found to have exceeded the permitted number of attempts, except Khedkar.
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has revoked the provisional candidature of Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar and permanently banned her from all future exams and selections. This decision follows allegations of Khedkar fraudulently availing attempts beyond the permissible limit in the Civil Services Examination-2022 (CSE-2022) by falsifying her identity.
Show cause notice and response
On July 18, 2024, the UPSC issued a show cause notice to Khedkar, demanding an explanation for the allegations. Initially, she requested time until August 4 to respond, but the UPSC extended this deadline to 3:30 pm on July 30, 2024. The UPSC emphasized that no further extensions would be granted and that failure to respond would result in immediate action.
Failure to respond, final decision
Khedkar did not submit her response within the given timeframe. Consequently, the UPSC reviewed the available records and found her guilty of violating the CSE-2022 Rules. As a result, her provisional candidature was cancelled, and she was permanently debarred from all future UPSC exams and selections.
Controversies and legal actions
Khedkar gained notoriety after a leaked chat revealed her demanding special accommodations and privileges before her official posting. The situation escalated when it was discovered that her father, a retired government official, had threatened her superiors. Further scrutiny revealed that Khedkar had used fake disability and OBC certificates to claim reservation benefits in the UPSC exams. She also bypassed mandatory medical tests with fraudulent documentation. The UPSC subsequently filed a complaint with the Delhi police, leading to an FIR against Khedkar. Her mother is also currently in jail over a separate land dispute case.
UPSC's review of past candidates
In light of this incident, the UPSC reviewed the records of over 15,000 candidates recommended from 2009 to 2023. No other candidates were found to have exceeded the permitted number of attempts, except Khedkar. The failure to detect her earlier was attributed to her changing both her name and her parents' names. The UPSC is now enhancing its Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to prevent similar cases in the future.
