Trainee IAS Officer Puja Khedkar's training in Maharashtra cancelled amid allegations

Probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar's in Maharashtra has been cancelled amid the selection row. Khedkar is being investigated for allegedly forging disability certificates to pass the Civil Services examination.

The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie has decided to pause Puja Dilip Khedkar's District Training Program and has called her back immediately for further action.

An official notice from LBSNAA dated July 16 states that Puja Khedkar, currently the Supernumerary Assistant Collector in Washim, Maharashtra, has been relieved from her training duties in Maharashtra.

She has been instructed to report back to the Academy by July 23 at the latest.

This decision follows a recent controversy over Khedkar's selection into the civil service. She is accused of misusing the disability and Other Backward Class quota to secure her position.

Last week, the Centre formed a single-member committee to verify Puja Khedkar's candidature.

Puja Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer from the Maharashtra cadre, attracted media attention after allegedly requesting special privileges from the Pune Collector’s office that her position did not allow. Consequently, the Maharashtra government transferred her from Pune to Washim.

However, the controversy over her alleged misuse of power revealed details about her civil services exam attempts. It came to light that she claimed visual impairment and mental illness in her affidavit to the Union Public Service Commission to receive special concessions. Despite her low exam marks, these concessions enabled her to clear the exams, securing an All India Rank (AIR) of 821.

The authenticity of the certificates she submitted is currently under investigation.