'Don't consider 7 of 12 UPSC attempts...': Khedkar to HC
What's the story
Former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) trainee officer Puja Khedkar has requested the Delhi High Court to disregard seven of her 12 acknowledged attempts for UPSC Civil Services entrance examination. In an affidavit filed on Friday, Khedkar asked that only attempts in the "divyang" category be counted, citing a Maharashtra hospital certificate diagnosing her with an "old ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tear with left knee instability." She claimed a 47% disability against the government's 40% benchmark.
Attempt reduction
Khedkar's request could reduce confirmed exam attempts
Khedkar's request to disregard her seven attempts as a general category student could reduce the number of confirmed attempts to five, each of which she passed. This is four less than the upper limits for persons with disabilities and one less than that allowed for general category candidates. The Delhi High Court is currently hearing an anticipatory bail plea by Khedkar, who faces criminal charges including forgery and cheating.
Legal proceedings
Khedkar faces charges amid UPSC fraud allegations
Khedkar's anticipatory bail plea was rejected by a city court on August 1, dismissing her claims about an "imminent threat of arrest." However, she later moved the High Court and was granted temporary protection from arrest until a final verdict. The police have opposed her plea, arguing that any relief would hinder their investigation into a "deep-rooted conspiracy" and could damage public perception of the integrity of the civil services examination and the UPSC.
UPSC action
UPSC accuses Khedkar of fraud, cancels her candidature
To recall, the UPSC has accused Khedkar of committing a "fraud" and canceled her provisional candidature on July 31. She has been debarred from all future examinations or selections. The commission has also registered a police case against Khedkar for allegedly fraudulently availing attempts in the civil services examination by faking her identity to take the exam beyond the permissible attempts.
Name controversy
Khedkar denies UPSC's allegations of name change
Khedkar has denied the UPSC's claim that she changed her name and surname for one of the 12 attempts to circumvent rules limiting chances per candidate. She stated that only her middle name had been altered and argued "there is no truth in the allegation that there has been a major change in my name." "UPSC verified my identity through biometric data... did not find my documents (to be) fake or incorrect..." she added.