Amid Puja Khedkar row, disability certificates of 6 civil servants under lens: Report

Amid the controversy involving trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who is accused of submitting false disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) is now set to investigate the disability certificates of six other civil servants.

According to an India Today report, the DoPT has requested the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) to have a medical board re-evaluate the disability status of these candidates. The medical certificates of these six civil servants were flagged on social media.

The UPSC said that it had reviewed data from over 15,000 candidates and found that only Khedkar had used more attempts than allowed, the report added. The board noted that this discrepancy was primarily due to Khedkar's alteration of her and her parents' names.

How did Puja Khedkar misuse the disability provision by UPSC?

According to UPSC regulations, candidates must have at least a 40 per cent disability to qualify for reservation benefits. The UPSC also offers age limit relaxations, additional attempts, and special provisions at exam centres for candidates with disabilities.

In 2022, Khedkar obtained a 7 per cent locomotor disability certificate from Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital, despite the physiotherapy department reporting no disability. She allegedly used this certificate to take the civil service exam more times than allowed, violating the rules.

Earlier this week, the UPSC cancelled Khedkar's candidature for the 2022 civil services examination and prohibited her from taking future exams. The Delhi Police have filed a case against her following a UPSC complaint.

Regarding the submission of false disability and caste certificates, the UPSC stated that it performs a preliminary check and accepts certificates as genuine if issued by competent authorities. The UPSC added that it cannot verify the authenticity of the numerous certificates submitted by candidates each year.

Delhi court rejects Khedkar's bail plea

On Thursday, Delhi's Patiala House court denied Puja Khedkar's anticipatory bail plea. The trainee IAS officer was accused of using fraudulent methods to pass the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination.

Khedkar had requested pre-arrest bail in connection with a case alleging that she faked her identity to gain additional attempts at the UPSC exam.

The court noted that the Delhi Police, the investigating agency, needs to broaden its investigation. It also instructed the police to determine if any UPSC insiders were involved in helping her achieve her goal.

On Wednesday, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) cancelled Khedkar's provisional candidature and barred her from taking any future UPSC exams.