Puja Khedkar Removed from IAS, UPSC Bars Her for Life After Fraudulent Selection Exposed

The Centre has swiftly removed Puja Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) following a major controversy regarding her selection process. This action comes just a month after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) cancelled her appointment, citing fraudulent practices.

Ms. Khedkar was found guilty of exploiting the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quotas, despite not qualifying for these categories. In addition to cancelling her selection, the UPSC has permanently barred her from taking the Civil Services Examination (CSE) again, citing multiple identity-related irregularities. Her case prompted a detailed review of over 15,000 IAS candidates from 2009 to 2023, but no further discrepancies were found.

The controversy first surfaced when Pune Collector Suhas Diwase raised concerns with Maharashtra’s Chief Secretary about Ms. Khedkar’s demands for perks, including a car and office staff, during her probation period. Following this, she was transferred to Washim. Further scrutiny revealed that she had wrongly availed quota benefits, even though her family’s substantial assets disqualified her from the OBC non-creamy layer category. Additionally, she failed to attend a mandatory health check required for her disability claim.

The situation worsened when a video surfaced of Ms. Khedkar’s mother, a village sarpanch, waving a gun to intimidate others. This led to her arrest. Meanwhile, Ms. Khedkar’s father, a former Maharashtra government official, is now under investigation for possessing assets disproportionate to his income.

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