Centre Sacks Puja Khedkar from Indian Administrative Service

PTI, NEW DELHI, SEPT 7, 2027 :  The Union government has discharged Puja Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect, over a month after the Union Public Service Commission cancelled her selection, official sources said on Saturday.

Khedkar, who was from the 2023 batch, has been accused of cheating and wrongly availing Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quota benefits to ensure her selection in government service. She has denied all allegations.

The Centre, via an order dated September 6, 2024, discharged Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service under Rule 12 of the IAS (Probation) Rules, 1954, with immediate effect, the sources said. The rules allow the Centre to discharge a probationer from service if "he fails to pass the re-examination..." or "if the central government is satisfied that the probationer was ineligible for recruitment to the Service or is unsuitable for being a member of the Service," among others.

Khedkar, who was provisionally allotted to the Indian Administrative Service (Maharashtra cadre), was accused of misusing power and privileges during her training in Pune. A criminal case was registered against her in July by Delhi Police for "misrepresenting and falsifying facts," following a "thorough investigation" by the UPSC into allegations of misconduct.