Puja Khedkar case: Disability certificates of six civil servants to be probed
Puja Khedkar case: The DoPT has written to the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) to get the disability status of the candidates re-examined by a medical board.
- Aug 2, 2024,
- Updated Aug 2, 2024 4:14 PM IST
Puja Khedkar case: Following the row over IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, who among a list of misuses, submitted false disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to further her selection for civil services, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) will now scrtutinise the disability certificates of six other civil servants.
According to sources who told India Today, these six civil servants include probationers and serving officials.
The DoPT has written to the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) to get the disability status of the candidates re-examined by a medical board. The medical certificates of these six civil servants were flagged on social media.
As per UPSC rules, the candidate should have a minimum of 40 per cent disability to avail reservation benefits. Such candidates are also provided relaxation in age, number of attempts along with special provisions in exam centres for specially-abled candidates.
Khedkar, who is in the eye of the storm, had received a certificate for 7 per cent locomotor disability from Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital in 2022 despite the physiotherapy department reporting no disability. In violation of the rules, she used the certificate to appear for civil services exams more times than permissible.
Upon the findings of such irregularities in her candidature, UPSC cancelled Puja Khedkar’s candidature in the 2022 civil services examination. It also barred her from appearing for any future exams.
Puja Khedkar case: Following the row over IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, who among a list of misuses, submitted false disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to further her selection for civil services, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) will now scrtutinise the disability certificates of six other civil servants.
According to sources who told India Today, these six civil servants include probationers and serving officials.
The DoPT has written to the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) to get the disability status of the candidates re-examined by a medical board. The medical certificates of these six civil servants were flagged on social media.
As per UPSC rules, the candidate should have a minimum of 40 per cent disability to avail reservation benefits. Such candidates are also provided relaxation in age, number of attempts along with special provisions in exam centres for specially-abled candidates.
Khedkar, who is in the eye of the storm, had received a certificate for 7 per cent locomotor disability from Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital in 2022 despite the physiotherapy department reporting no disability. In violation of the rules, she used the certificate to appear for civil services exams more times than permissible.
Upon the findings of such irregularities in her candidature, UPSC cancelled Puja Khedkar’s candidature in the 2022 civil services examination. It also barred her from appearing for any future exams.