Puja Khedkar Discharged from IAS for Rule Violations
New Delhi [India], September 7: The Centre has discharged IAS Probationer Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect. This action follows the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) canceling Khedkar’s provisional candidature due to allegations of cheating and forgery.
Khedkar was found to have taken more attempts at the Civil Services examination than allowed under her claimed categories of OBC and PwD. The UPSC debarred her from all future exams and selections, stating that she violated rules.
On July 31, the UPSC announced that Khedkar was given until 3:30 pm on July 30, 2024, to respond to a show cause notice. Khedkar has since moved the Delhi High Court, challenging the UPSC’s decision. The Delhi Police reported that Khedkar submitted two disability certificates, suspecting one might be forged.
In her reply to the Delhi High Court, Khedkar argued that the UPSC does not have the authority to disqualify her. The UPSC contends that Khedkar is a ‘mastermind’ and that her actions required assistance from others, supporting their call for custodial interrogation.
Doubts Revealed
IAS -: IAS stands for Indian Administrative Service. It is one of the prestigious services in India where officers help in running the government and implementing policies.
probationer -: A probationer is someone who is in a trial period of their job to see if they are suitable for the position. In this case, Puja Khedkar was still being tested to see if she could be a full IAS officer.
Centre -: The Centre refers to the central government of India, which is responsible for making decisions that affect the entire country.
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) -: UPSC is a government body in India that conducts exams to select candidates for various civil services, including the IAS.
provisional candidature -: Provisional candidature means that her selection was temporary and subject to certain conditions being met. If those conditions are not met, the selection can be canceled.
cheating and forgery -: Cheating means breaking the rules to gain an unfair advantage, and forgery means making fake documents or signatures.
Civil Services examination -: This is a competitive exam conducted by UPSC to select candidates for various government services, including the IAS.
Delhi High Court -: The Delhi High Court is a high-level court in India that deals with legal cases and disputes in the Delhi region.
