Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) initiated action against the tainted trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar on Friday. After a detailed investigation, UPSC ensured that FIR is filed against Puja Khedkar with the police. In all probability it is the end of road for Puja, who surprised everyone with her arrogance and excesses.
“UPSC has conducted a detailed and thorough investigation in the misdemeanour of Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, a provisionally recommended candidate of the Civil Services Examination-2022. From this investigation it has been revealed that she fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit under the Examination Rules by faking her identity by way of changing her name, her father’s & mother’s name, her photograph/ signature, her email ID, mobile number and address,” said a press statement released by UPSC on Friday.
While UPSC might have acted swiftly on Puja Khedkar misdeeds, what’s shocking is, how did UPSC allow things to get this far?
UPSC itself is claiming in its statement that Puja Khedkar has faked her identity and even changed parents name, signature and photograph. And all these while, UPSC did not get any doubt and even selected her for the country’s most respectable and responsible service. This clearly points out to the glaring flaws and shortcomings in UPSC functioning.
Even the latest series of actions taken in Puja Khedkar case by UPSC were initiated after media outcry and social media outburst over ‘how high and powerful are misusing the system.’
Besides filing FIR with the Police, UPSC issued a Show Cause Notice for cancellation of Puja Khedkar candidature of the Civil Services Examination-2022/ debarment from future examinations/ selections.
UPSC’s action will ensure that Puja Khedkar will be permanently barred from entering any public services in the future. But it is UPSC which has been badly hurt in the entire episode.
Though UPSC claimed that it stringently adheres to fulfilling its Constitutional obligations and ensured the sanctity and integrity of all its examination processes with the utmost fairness and strict observance of Rules, it appears to be just a lofty PR statement, rather than instilling lost faith in it.
At a time when corruption charges over IAS and IPS officers are rising all over India, with many Babus even jailed; in a country where the privileged life of the elite officers is often scorned by general public, the episode of Puja Khedkar only raises further contempt and distrust on UPSC. The criminal here might be Puja Khedkar but the victim is UPSC.
