UPSC Cancels Provisional Candidature of Puja Khedkar, Debars Her Permanently for Rule Violation

The UPSC has cancelled the provisional candidature of Puja Khedkar for the Civil Services Examination-2022 and permanently debarred her from future exams for exceeding attempt limits under a false identity. Despite given extensions, Khedkar failed to respond to a show cause notice issued by UPSC.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has cancelled the provisional candidature of Puja Khedkar, a provisionally recommended candidate for the Civil Services Examination-2022, and permanently debarred her from all future exams and selections. This decision follows allegations that Khedkar fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit by faking her identity.

On July 18, the UPSC issued a show cause notice to Khedkar, requiring her to respond by July 25. She requested an extension until August 4 to gather necessary documents, but the UPSC granted her an extension only until July 30, clearly indicating it was the final chance. Despite this, Khedkar did not submit a response within the prescribed timeframe.

After examining the available records, the UPSC found Khedkar guilty of violating the Civil Services Examination-2022 rules. Her provisional candidature was subsequently cancelled, and she was permanently debarred from all future UPSC exams.

In light of this case, the UPSC has reviewed data from over 15,000 candidates from 2009 to 2023 and found no other instances of candidates exceeding the permissible number of attempts. The commission noted that Khedkar's multiple attempts went undetected due to changes in her name and her parents' names.

Efforts are underway to strengthen the UPSC’s Standard Operating Procedures to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Meanwhile, Delhi's Patiala House Court has reserved the order on an anticipatory bail plea filed by Khedkar, who asserts her innocence and claims wrongful accusation.