When The System Gets Played: The Wild Antics Of IAS Trainee Puja Khedkar

Controversial IAS Trainee Puja Khedkar Is Under Investigation

Dear Reader,

Dr. Puja Khedkar, an IAS trainee, is in hot water for allegedly falsely claiming benefits under PwBD (Person with Benchmark Disability) and OBC (Other Backward Class) categories in her UPSC application.

Now, the Union Government has launched an investigation into the matter.

• A senior officer of the rank of Additional Secretary to Government of India will verify Dr. Khedkar’s claims regarding her disability and OBC status. A report is due in two weeks.

Why It Matters: If proven true, these false claims could shake the public trust in UPSC's impeccable reputation if significant lapses in the verification process are unraveled.

The Story So Far: Dr. Khedkar made headlines for taking over a Deputy Collector’s office illegally and placing a beacon on her private Audi. She also demanded facilities only provided after probation.

• Transfer to Washim: Following her misconduct, she was moved to Washim District after Pune’s District Collector reported her actions.

Dr. Khedkar’s Background: She is the daughter of retired senior bureaucrat Dilip Khedkar and Bhalgaon Sarpanch Dr. Manorama Khedkar.

The family is well-off, with an annual income and assets exceeding the OBC Non-Creamy Layer criteria.

• In fact, the total value of the assets owned by her parents has been pegged at Rs 40 crore.

RTI Activist Vijay Kumbhar exposed Khedkar’s potential falsifications and questioned how UPSC missed these discrepancies.

The false claims under scanner include the OBC & PwBD status:

• OBC Status: Despite her family's wealth, Dr. Khedkar claimed OBC Non-Creamy Layer status, which requires an annual family income below Rs 8 lakh.

• PwBD Status: Claimed benefits for mental illness and low vision, which don’t align with her social media activity showing normal functioning.

Dr. Khedkar approached the Delhi High Court and CAT to push UPSC to recognize her PwBD claims. Provisional permissions were granted to appear for exams under PwBD-5 status, benefiting from relaxed cut-offs. However, she didn’t attend required medical examinations.

Political Connections? Despite serious allegations, Dr. Khedkar received favourable postings and was transferred to Washim with no significant penalties.

• This leniency might be due to her political connections and the sensitive Maratha vs. OBC tension in Maharashtra.

What’s Next: A government report is expected in two weeks. The outcome will reveal whether Dr. Khedkar’s claims were fraudulent.

The findings could significantly impact the credibility of the UPSC and put the Maharashtra government under scrutiny.

Dive Deeper: My colleague Krishna Dange has written a detailed report on this controversy. Do give it a read!

- Anmol N Jain

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