Govt discharges Puja Khedkar from IAS after probe findings
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Single member panel finds Puja Khedkar flouting IAS examination norms
By Our Correspondent
New Delhi, September 7: The Centre has discharged Puja Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Services (IAS). The Centre’s decision came after a probe finding which found Khedkar exceeding limits on number of attempts in the Civil Services Examination (CSE).
Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar was an IAS probationer of the Maharashtra cadre. “As reports emerged that Ms Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, IAS Probationer (MH:2023) may have been ineligible to be a candidate at the Civil Services Examination-2022 and previous CSEs, a single member Committee was constituted on July 11, 2024 to verify her candidature claims,” the government said in an informal note.
The single member Committee submitted its reports on July 24, 2024. “Taking note of the findings and conclusions of single member Committee report, Government proceeded for a summary enquiry according to the provisions of Rule 12 of IAS (Probation) Rules, 1954, including giving Ms. Khedkar a reasonable opportunity. It is seen that Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, IAS Probationer (MH:2023) had applied and appeared for the CSE between 2012 to 2023,” added the government note.
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It further stated that “as per the information submitted by Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, IAS Probationer (MH:2023) herself in her Civil Services Examination (CSE) application forms between CSE-2012 to CSE-2023, it is seen that she had availed more attempts at the Civil Services Examination than the maximum permissible number of nine (9) attempts in her claimed category (OBC and PwBD), which she had exhausted by attempting the Civil Services Examinations between 2012 and 2020 i.e., prior to the CSE-2022 itself,” added the finding of the single member panel.
Rule 3 of CSE Rules 2022 prescribed the maximum number of attempts permissible to a candidate belonging to various categories. For an OBC and PwBD it is nine (09) attempts.
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“Rule 12 of IAS (Probation) Rules, 1954, provides for discharge on ground of a probationer having been found to be ineligible to be recruited to the Service. After holding a summary enquiry, it was seen that Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, IAS Probationer (MH:2023), was ineligible to be a candidate at the CSE-2022, which was the year of her selection and appointment to the IAS,” added the panel finding in its report.
The government note stated that “she was ineligible to be recruited to the Indian Administrative Service”. “The Central Government by an order dated September 6, 2024 discharges Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, IAS Probationer (MH:2023), from the Indian Administrative Service under Rule 12 of IAS(Probation) Rules, 1954, with immediate effect,” added the government note.
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