Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar came into the limelight after a controversy over claims she made in her UPSC candidature and properties worth crores. 2023 batch IAS officer who secured an all-India rank of 841 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam, comes from a family of bureaucrats and politicians from Pathardi tehsil in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.
Unofficial Demands by Trainee IAS
Khedkar became controversial after reports appeared over her claimed demands for a separate office, official car, and unofficial use of a beacon on her private car. Pune District Collector Suhas Diwase also reports Khedkar and her father’s ‘objectionable behavior’ to the state government.
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Puja’s father, Dilaiprao Khedkar is a retired Maharashtra Pollution Control Board officer. Also, her paternal grandfather was a senior bureaucrat. Her father contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 as a Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) candidate. Puja’s mother is a sarpanch of Bhalgaon which is their family village.
Cracked UPSC in 2021 but failed to appear in Medical
Puja cracked the UPSC in 2021. She became part of a legal battle against the UPSC in the Central Administrative Tribunal after she failed to present herself for a medical examination to confirm her disability claim of suffering from ‘blindness and mental illness.’ The claim gave her the benefits under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities category.
As per reports, she didn’t fall under the OBC non-creamy layer category because her father had assets worth ₹40 crore. “As per the rules, only those come under the OBC non-creamy layer category whose parents are under 8 lac per annum of income, but their income shows that it is ₹40 crore. Her father contested the recent Lok Sabha Polls 2024; all the property details are in the affidavit.
Misusing authority
Puja is charged with misusing her authority. She allegedly availed of facilities not allowed for probationary officers. Puja reportedly used a red-blue beacon and a Maharashtra government board on her private Audi car. She also captured the chamber of additional collector Ajay More without permission. She reportedly removed office furniture without the officer.
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Committee set up by Government
The Union government on July 11 constituted a one-member Committee to verify the candidature of Puja Khedka over allegations of misusing the disability and Other Backward Class quotas to secure a position in the service. An additional secretary-rank officer would conduct the probe to verify the candidature claims and other details of the 2023 batch officer of the Maharashtra cadre.
About the Author
Simran Akhouri is a postgraduate student in journalism from the University of Delhi. She has developed strong writing skills that allow her to convey stories. She is passionate about uncovering the truth and delivering it to the public in an engaging and accessible manner.
