Who is IAS Pooja Khedkar Story in Hindi: Controversial trainee IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer Pooja Khedkar took charge of Maharashtra's Washim district administration on July 11. After being transferred from Pune, she will complete her remaining training here. Meanwhile, there are demands for a thorough investigation into her appointment. Khedkar is accused of seeking privileges and submitting fake certificates. She was transferred from Pune to Washim earlier this week after complaints about her conduct. The central government has formed a one-member committee to confirm Pooja Khedkar's appointment on July 11.
IAS Pooja Khedkar's position and family
IAS Pooja Khedkar comes from a family of bureaucrats. 32-year-old Pooja Khedkar is a 2023 batch IAS officer who has secured 841st rank in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam. She comes from a family of bureaucrats and politicians from Pathardi tehsil of Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra.
Puja's father Diliprao Khedkar is a retired officer of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and a politician who contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on behalf of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). Her grandfather was also a senior bureaucrat. Puja's mother is the sarpanch of her family's village Bhalgaon.
accused of providing fake certificate
The 841st rank in the UPSC exam shows that Pooja's marks were not enough to become an IAS officer and hence she is accused of submitting fake OBC certificate and disability certificate.
Puja became part of a legal battle against UPSC in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) as she failed to present herself for medical examination to confirm her disability claim of 'blindness and mental illness'. Also, with assets worth over Rs 40 crore declared by her father, she is clearly not a part of the OBC non-creamy layer.
Proper disability testing not done
UPSC asked Pooja to undergo a medical examination at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi in April 2022. She sought a postponement on grounds of COVID-19, and they rescheduled it to August 2022. According to reports, UPSC also asked Pooja to undergo a brain MRI to find out the cause of vision loss in both eyes.
Dispute over MRI certificate
Pooja submitted an MRI report done at a private facility that supported her claims of disability, which was rejected by the UPSC. The UPSC challenged her selection in the CAT, which ruled against her on February 23, 2023. However, her MRI certificate was later accepted, confirming her appointment as an IAS officer.
Lots of complaints
Puja joined the Pune district collectorate for training as assistant collector on June 3. Several complaints have surfaced against Puja Khedkar, including 'objectionable behaviour' of Pune district collector Suhas Divas, demand for a separate office, official car and unauthorised use of red-blue beacon on her personal Audi car.
They also occupied the chamber of Additional Collector Ajay More without permission. They reportedly removed the office furniture without the officer's consent. Khedkar's father reportedly pressured the district collector's office to meet his daughter's demands.
Check to verify appointment
It is alleged that Pooja misused the disability and OBC quota to get a place in the service. The government said in a statement that an additional secretary level officer will conduct an inquiry to verify the candidature claims and other details of the 2023 batch officer of Maharashtra cadre.
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