Govt Discharges Puja Khedkar from IAS with Immediate Effect

New Delhi: The government on Saturday discharged former IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar from service with immediate effect for allegedly misusing the OBC and PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) quota benefits during the UPSC exams.

As per an official order issued on Friday, Khedkar was removed under Rule 12 of the IAS (Probation) Rules, 1954.

Khedkar, who appeared for the UPSC exam under the name “Puja Diliprao Khedkar” till 2020-21, later used the name “Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar” in the 2021-22 exam, securing a rank of 821. It is alleged that she used both the OBC and PwBD quotas after exhausting her legitimate attempts.

On July 31, the UPSC revoked her provisional candidature, barring her from future exams and accusing her of violating the Civil Services Exam (CSE) 2022 rules by falsifying her identity.

The UPSC has also filed a criminal case against Khedkar on charges of cheating, fraud, and forgery.

Khedkar, who was serving as a probationary assistant collector in Pune, was later transferred to Washim following accusations of misuse of the PwBD category.

She has challenged the UPSC’s decision in the Delhi High Court, claiming she did not falsify her identity. She also filed a harassment complaint against Pune District Collector Suhas Diwase, who had reported her to the Maharashtra government.