Who is Pooja Khedkar?
Pooja Khedkar, a trainee IAS officer, stated that she completed her MBBS in Pune and mentioned her experience working at Gangaram Hospital in Delhi. In 2018, she gained admission to the IRS. Pooja Khedkar became a former IAS officer; she joined the Indian Administrative Services in 2023, but authorities discovered a letter regarding her misuse of power during training. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) canceled her selection in July 2024 after they found serious allegations of cheating and fraud during the selection process. She misused benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quotas. After these events, the central government discharged her from the IAS with immediate effect on September 6, 2024.
Briefly, what happened with Pooja Khedkar, the former IAS officer?
From the beginning of her selection for IAS, trainee ias officer pooja khedkar misused her privileges. She requested a separate chamber, car, VIP number plate, residence, and constables. She ranked 821 under the OBC and PWBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) categories. Pooja informed UPSC that she is visually impaired and mentally ill. After clearing the UPSC exam on April 22, 2022, the duty officer at AIIMS called her six times, but she refused each time with different excuses. The doctor wanted to verify any vision loss in her eyes. The Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT), responsible for recruiting IAS officers, received a letter from AIIMS stating that Pooja Khedkar was non-cooperative during the medical examination. After all this, authorities found her guilty of misusing benefits under the OBC and disability quotas. The central government discharged her from the IAS with immediate effect on September 6, 2024.
Additional information about her family:
Her father, Deelip Khedkar, retired from his position as an IAS officer, where he worked for the Pollution Control Board. Pooja Khedkar’s mother serves as the sarpanch (head) of Bhalgoan village.