UPSC cancels trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar's provisional candidature, debars her from...

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has cancelled the provisional candidature of trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar. The commission has also permanently debarred her from all future exams and selections. She cracked the Civil Services Examination 2022 (CSE-2022) with All India Rank (AIR) 821. However, her candidature is controversial due to irregularities in the exam. She is accused of cheating and forgery.

"The UPSC has examined the available records carefully and found her guilty of acting in contravention of the provisions of the CSE-2022 Rules," UPSC said in a statement. The commission said a show cause notice (SCN) was issued to Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar on July 18 for "fraudulently" availing attempts beyond the permissible limit in the examination by "faking" her identity.

She was to submit her response to the SCN by July 25 but she requested time till August 4 to gather the necessary documents for her response, it said. The UPSC granted her a "final opportunity" to submit her response by 3:30 pm on July 30 but she "failed to submit her explanation within the prescribed time", the commission said.

Meanwhile, a Delhi court is likely to pronounce its order on August 1 on the anticipatory bail plea of Puja Khedkar. UPSC has filed a complaint against Puja Khedkar, after which Delhi Police registered an FIR.

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