The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has cancelled the provisional candidature of Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, who was provisionally recommended for the Civil Services Examination 2022 (CSE-2022).
It said her provisional candidature for the CSE-2022 (Civil Services Examination-2022) has been “cancelled” and she has also been “debarred permanently” from all future UPSC examinations or selections.
The decision comes after a thorough review by the commission. In addition to cancelling her provisional candidature, the UPSC has permanently debarred Khedkar from all future exams and selection processes conducted by the commission.
The UPSC said a show cause notice (SCN) was issued to Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar on July 18 for “fraudulently” availing attempts beyond the permissible limit in the examination by “faking” her identity. She was to submit her response to the SCN by July 25 but she requested for time till August 4 to gather the necessary documents for her response, it said.
The UPSC granted her a “final opportunity” to submit her response by 3:30 pm on July 30 but she “failed to submit her explanation within the prescribed time”, the commission said.
The Delhi Police Crime Branch allegedly booked Khedkar on July 19 for misusing the disability and Other Backward Class (non-creamy layer) quotas to secure her candidature in the civil services exam. The allegations include fraudulently availing these quotas beyond the permissible number of attempts by faking her identity.
The UPSC filed a police case against Khedkar, leading to an investigation by a dedicated team led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) from the Crime Branch.
This team was tasked with collecting relevant documents from various government departments to support the investigation. Khedkar has been booked under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other relevant laws.
The stringent action by UPSC and the police underscores the seriousness of the allegations and the commitment to maintaining the integrity of the civil services examination process.
