Pune: Former IAS Officer Puja Khedkar Challenges UPSC’s Decision in Delhi High Court
New Delhi/Pune, 5th August 2024: Former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officer Puja Khedkar has filed a legal challenge against the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in the Delhi High Court after her candidature was canceled. The UPSC also issued her a show-cause notice amid various controversies and allegations.
The UPSC found Puja Khedkar guilty of multiple controversies and canceled her candidature. Additionally, she has been permanently barred from all future examinations and selections. Khedkar was given until 30th July to respond to the show-cause notice, but the UPSC proceeded with its action after receiving no reply. There is also a possibility of police action against her, as she has been accused of submitting a fake disability certificate to the UPSC. Khedkar’s petition challenges the UPSC’s decision.
The UPSC reviewed data of over 15,000 recommended candidates from 2009 to 2023 and found Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar in violation of Civil Services Examination (CSE)-2022 rules by tampering with exam norms using fake certificates. The Show Cause Notice was issued on 18th July 2024, with a deadline for response set for 25th July 2024. Khedkar requested and was granted an extension until 30th July 2024, with no further extensions permitted. Despite this, Khedkar failed to respond by the extended deadline.
As a result, the UPSC canceled her provisional candidature and permanently barred her from future examinations. The UPSC reviewed the records of 15,000 candidates and found no similar violations except in Khedkar’s case. The UPSC is now enhancing its procedures to prevent such issues in the future and clarifies that it only conducts preliminary scrutiny of certificates without verifying their authenticity.
