Puja Khedkar row sends babus on disability quota hunting spree
Image credit X.com
Top bureaucrats call for review of disability quota amid Puja Khedkar row
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, July 21: Tales of former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar faking disability certificates brought senior babus against the quota. Former chief executive officer of the Niti Aayog, Amitabh Kant, sought a review of the disability quota.
Senior IAS officer Smita Sabharwal has questioned the provision of disability quota. The Rajya Sabha MP of the Shiv Sena Priyanka Chaturvedi hit out at Sabharwal for her “pathetic and exclusionary view”.
Former diplomat Anil Trigunayat also called for urgent review of the disability quota. While former top-ranking bureaucrats are going hammer and tongue against the disability quota, some while still serving are calling for abolishing the reservation for the differently-abled people.
“UPSC should have terminated her services without show cause notice since an officer on probation can be removed without giving any reason,” former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi commented on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
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He was reacting to the UPSC filing an FIR against Puja Khedkar after she hit headlines for demanding red beacon on a private car in Pune. The UPSC afterwards cancelled her selection in IAS, as well as debarred her from appearing in future examinations.
“Does an Airline hire a pilot with disability? Or would you trust a surgeon with a disability,” asked Sabharwal, a senior serving IAS officer. She added: “The nature of the AIS ( IAS/IPS/IFoS) is field-work, long taxing hours, listening first hand to people’s grievances, which requires physical fitness.”
The Shiv Sena MP accused Sabharwal for holding a “pathetic” view. “This is such a pathetic and exclusionary view to have. Interesting to see how bureaucrats are showing their limited thoughts and their privilege too,” added Chaturvedi in a post on X.
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Sabharwal joined the debate with Chaturvedi, defending her opinion on the disability quota in the UPSC examinations. “If bureaucrats do not speak on pertinent issues of governance, then who will? My thoughts and concern stem from a career of 24 odd years… no limited experience…,” added Sabharwal.
The senior IAS officer advised that “the talented differently-abled can surely find great opportunities”.
Former diplomat K C Singh came in defence of Sabhrwal. “Most miss the point you’re making that every service has core requirements which all recruits must fulfil and merit prevail. You need mental acuity, moral courage and balance to make a good top-level bureaucrat,” added Singh in his comment.
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Singh underscored that “the minute you start reserving vacancies, misuse starts and queue jumping begins. For instance, IPS would need different physical standards than IAS”.
Meanwhile, Kant’s call for review of disability quota invited anger from differently-abled people advocacy entities. “Deeply disturbed by Kant’s suggestion to scrap disability quotas due to a few abusers. We need stringent scrutiny and punishment for those who misuse these benefits, not closing ranks on genuinely disabled,” said Nipun Malhotra, founder of ‘Wheels on Life’.
But Kant clarified that he had suggested a review and not scrapping the disability quota. “I have said it should be reviewed not scrapped as a number of people are getting in on account of certificates of mental disability and not physical disability,” added Kant.
But former diplomat Anil Trigunayat was nodding for review of the disability quota. “Systemic rot must be addressed on priority. The faith in the civil services and recruitment procedures must be above board,” added Trigunayat.
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