The case of IAS probationer Puja Khedkar and her IAS selection has opened the proverbial Pandora’s box for how the UPSC scrutinises candidates for public service.
This case has revealed that several other candidates have also entered the UPSC through fraudulent means, and we are only scratching the surface.
Puja Khedkar had lied about her age, changed her name multiple times, and even lied about her disability – produced a fake certificate about her disability on top of submitting fake non-creamy layer OBC certificates to pass the civil services exam, despite her father’s declared assets of 40 crore rupees in a 2024 affidavit.
Additional Chief Secretary Nitin Gadre, leading the General Administration Department, issued a written order recalling Dr Puja Khedkar from her District Training Programme in Maharashtra. The directive, referencing a letter from the Deputy Director and In-Charge Establishment dated September 16, 2024, informed Khedkar of her immediate recall to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie for further action. Gadre’s one-page letter stated, “As per the letter dated 16.07.2024, it is informed that LBSNAA, Mussoorie has decided to keep your District Training Program on hold and immediately recall you for further necessary action. Therefore, you are hereby relieved from the District Training Programme of the State Government of Maharashtra.”
The decision, announced on Tuesday, July 16, indicated that Khedkar must return to LBSNAA by July 23. This action followed closely on the heels of a report from the Maharashtra government detailing concerns regarding Khedkar’s conduct during her training period.
Another case that has come to light is that of Ashif K Yusuf, an IAS officer from the 2016 batch. He allegedly falsified an income certificate to claim benefits under the OBC reservation category improperly. Following a Union Government directive, an investigation was initiated by the state administration based on the Chief Secretary’s report.
The investigation concluded that Yusuf’s income level did not qualify him for the non-creamy layer status necessary for OBC reservation eligibility. This has led to calls for a comprehensive review of similar cases nationwide, with many advocating for strict measures, including arrest and imprisonment for implicated individuals and the recovery of funds spent on their training, benefits, salaries, and pensions. Yusuf had secured the 215th rank in the 2015 civil services examination, and the OBC certificate allowed him to seek higher-ranked services.
Here are a few more cases that have come out in the open after the Puja Khedkar case.
Prafull Desai, a 2019 batch IAS officer, rank is 532, claimed to be an EWS candidate and that he was OH, i.e. orthopedically handicapped. However, pictures of him cycling, playing tennis, and rafting went viral, and he claims he became completely fine after being selected.
Divya Yadav is yet another civil services fraud allegedly. Her father, Raju Yadav, is posted as an ASI at Sanchi Police Station. Divya ranked 498 in UPSC 2023. However, her documents show she is “Dalit” (SC). We are not sure in which parallel universe Yadav became SC.
Biswajit Panda, a BTech graduate from NIT Rourkela in 2016, is said to have worked at Linda India Ltd subsequently. His father is said to be a government teacher, and his brother is a 2015 batch IRS officer. Despite these qualifications, he applied for the EWS quota.
Durga Prasad Adhikari became an IPS in 2021 from the unreserved category with 205th rank. However, surprisingly, he got the EWS certificate allegedly made and became an IAS with 162nd rank in 2022.
Aayushi Jain became an IPS with 85th rank in UPSC 2020. She joined the service. However, it is said that aspiring to become an IAS officer, she got an EWS certificate forged and became an IAS in 2022.
Sarjana Yadav ranked 126th in CSE in 2019. The images below show that OBC is written in front of her name, which means she became an IAS from OBC Non-Creamy Layer while her father is an IES.
Divyanshi Singh passed UPPCS’20 in 2020 (SDM) with OL PwBD quota (one leg affected). The same year, she also cleared UPSC (IRS) with the OH PwBD quota (Orthopedically Handicapped), playing golf with many physical disabilities.
Garima Sonkia, whose mother is a teacher, father is a lawyer, and brother is an administrative officer. She herself is UPPCS’21 rank 30 (SDM) but filled the form for UPSC’23 from the EWS quota and got selected.
If you thought it was only this much, you are mistaken; we have entered a rabbit hole. Some more such cases include:
IAS Abhishek Singh belongs to the batch – 2010 (AIR – 94) under the general quota (Locomotive Disability). However, on his social media accounts, he says he works in movies, makes YouTube videos, shows how he works out, and does everything people with locomotive disabilities cannot do.
Priyanhu Khati (IAS) Batch – 2021 Quota: General (Orthopedically Handicapped) – she was recruited under the OH (Orthopedically Handicapped) category, and many eyewitnesses claim that the person is completely fit, as evidenced by numerous posts on social media.
Anu Beniwal (IPS) Quota – EWS – Her father was also an IPS officer, and she is said to have been selected through the EWS quota. It is strange that despite being the child of an IPS officer, they were selected under the EWS quota.
Nikita Khandelwal (IAS)Batch – 2014 Quota – General (Visually Impaired) She was selected from the General Category under the Visually Impaired quota. However, in the video, you can see how she takes her driving test without wearing glasses.
If you thought this list was exhaustive, pause; it is not. A netizen posted that he received over 100 emails and messages about numerous officers using fraudulent certificates (disability, reservation etc) to get selected.
It is also noteworthy that children of civil servants are able to somehow pass these exams and also get the desired selection. Do they use their parents’ “powers” to enter the system?
That said, there was a huge controversy surrounding the NEET UG exam, leading to re-examinations for some candidates and revised rank lists. The NEET PG exam was postponed at the last minute, the night before its scheduled date. In light of these events, people wonder if similar steps will be taken to address these fraudulent cases with regard to the UPSC and its candidate selections.
