UPSC cracks down on probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, files FIR for forgery
New Delhi (PTI): The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Friday took a series of action, including registration of a police case, against probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar for fraudulently availing attempts in the civil services examination by faking her identity.
The commission has also issued a show cause notice for cancellation of her candidature of the civil services examination-2022 and debarment from future examinations and selections.
Khedkar, a 2023 batch probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, is accused of misusing power and privileges, by demanding perks and facilities she was not entitled for, during her training in Pune District Collectorate in Maharashtra recently.
She is accused of bullying everyone around and of placing a red-blue beacon (indicating high-ranking official) atop a private Audi (a luxury sedan) car used by her that also had 'Maharashtra government' written on it during her stint.
After the Pune district collector flagged the matter, Khedkar was transferred to Washim District Collectorate in the Vidarbha region.
She was declared qualified in the civil services examination 2022. Based on the results declared last year by the UPSC, Khedkar was allocated the IAS and her home state Maharashtra as a cadre.
"The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has conducted a detailed and thorough investigation in the misdemeanour of Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, a provisionally recommended candidate of the Civil Services Examination-2022," an official statement issued on Friday said.
From this investigation it has been revealed that she fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit under the examination rules by faking her identity by way of changing her name, her father's and mother's name, her photograph/ signature, her email ID, mobile number and address, the commission said.
The UPSC has, therefore, initiated a series of actions against her, including criminal prosecution by filing a First Information Report (FIR) with the police authorities and has issued "a show cause notice for cancellation of her candidature of the Civil Services Examination-2022/debarment from future examinations/ selections, in accordance with the Rules of the Civil Services Examination-2022", it said.
It is categorically stated that in fulfilling its constitutional obligations, the UPSC stringently adheres to its constitutional mandate, and conducts all its processes, including all examinations, with the highest possible order of due diligence without any compromise, the exam conducting body said in the statement.
The UPSC has ensured the sanctity and integrity of all its examination processes with the utmost fairness and strict observance of rules, it said.
"The UPSC has deservedly earned the trust and credibility of a very high order from the public, especially the candidates. The commission is unequivocally committed to ensure that such high order of trust and credibility remains intact and uncompromised," the statement said.
After Khedkar's case related to misuse of disability and Other Backward Class or OBC (non-creamy layer) quotas to secure her candidature in the service came to fore, the Centre on July 11 formed a single-member probe committee.
The panel, headed by Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Additional Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training, has been asked to submit its report within two weeks.
Khedkar got 821st rank in the civil services examination 2022, under OBC category as a person with multiple disabilities, according to UPSC records.
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 has a provision to reserve at least four per cent of total seats in government recruitment/department.
Candidates with benchmark disabilities (including multiple disabilities) besides those under OBC (non-creamy layer) get benefits like age-relaxation and earmarking of vacancies to be filled by them only in the civil services exam conducted by the UPSC.
The civil services examination is conducted annually by the UPSC in three stages -- preliminary, main and interview -- to select officers of IAS, Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others.
OBC candidates, whose annual household income is less than Rs 8 lakh, are eligible to take benefits of non-creamy layer reservation in certain government jobs recruitment.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
