Amid ongoing controversy over alleged caste quota misuse and abuse of authority by 34-year-old trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, another shocking revelation has surfaced: discrepancies in her age on official documents.
Details from Khedkar’s Common Admission Test (CAT) application in 2020 and the UPSC civil service exam in 2023 show only a one-year difference in age, despite a three-year gap between the applications. Additionally, Khedkar used slightly different names: Khedkar Puja Deeliprao in 2020 and Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar in 2023.
This is significant because UPSC applicants in the general category are allowed up to six attempts before the age of 32, while OBC candidates are limited to nine attempts until the age of 35. It is alleged that Khedkar took the exam even after exhausting her permissible attempts.
In 2020-21, Khedkar sat for the UPSC examination under the name Khedkar Puja Diliprao. Then, in 2021-22, she apparently changed her name and took the exam again, as Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, despite having used up her permitted number of attempts.
Adding to the controversy, a doctor’s certificate filed by Khedkar in 2007 for admission to the Kashibai Navle Medical College in Pune has come to light. The certificate stated that she was “medically fit” and had no evident disabilities. “She took admission in 2007… She got admission through CET, where she gave some certificates of reservation… She had submitted the caste certificate, caste validity, and non-creamy layer certificate… She also submitted the certificate of medical fitness which does not mention any disability there…,” said Arvind Bhore, Director of Shrimati Kashibai Navale Medical College and General Hospital.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rajendra Wable, Dean of YCM Hospital, stated on Tuesday that Puja Khedkar has a 7 per cent locomotor disability. “Puja Khedkar applied in August 2022 for disability certification regarding her left limb knee joint. She was assessed by our multiple departments, and it was found that she has a 7 per cent locomotor disability. This was issued on August 21,” Wable said.
However, according to a Department of Personnel and Training FAQ sheet, “Only such persons would be eligible for reservation in services/posts who suffer from not less than 40 per cent of relevant disability. A person who wants to avail of benefit of reservation would have to submit a Disability Certificate issued by a competent authority.”
In 2022, Khedkar missed up to six medical exams to verify her impairment. She then provided an MRI report from an outside medical facility, which was accepted after an eight-month delay in 2023.
Although Puja Khedkar secured the 841st rank, she was allotted IAS, India’s premier civil service, due to the caste quotas. If her OBC and Physically Challenged certifications are found to be fraudulent, she will be discharged from service. However, Khedkar will have the option to challenge this before the Central Administrative Tribunal.
Notably, Puja Khedkar’s name appeared in the news after she demanded special facilities before assuming the post of Assistant Collector in Pune. According to the chats, she asked for a special office, an official car, and staff, which probationers are not entitled to. She also drove her luxury Audi car with a beacon and VIP number plate, and had a ‘Maharashtra government’ sign on her private car. A one-member committee has been formed to investigate the matter and will submit its report within two weeks.
