The government has officially removed former trainee officer Puja Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) due to allegations of misusing OBC and disability quota benefits during her civil service exams. Her discharge, effective immediately, was carried out under Rule 12 of the IAS (Probation) Rules, 1954, which allows for the termination of probationers found to be ineligible for recruitment.

Khedkar, who previously appeared for the civil service exam under the name 'Puja Diliprao Khedkar' and used the OBC quota, later attempted the exam under both OBC and PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) quotas in 2021-22, this time under the name 'Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar'. She cleared the exam with a rank of 821. However, after an investigation by a single-member committee, it was discovered that Khedkar had exceeded the maximum allowed attempts for her category, disqualifying her from the exam in 2022.

The government followed due process, conducting a summary enquiry in line with Rule 12, and gave Khedkar the opportunity to respond. The investigation revealed that Khedkar had used more than the nine attempts permitted for OBC and PwBD candidates before passing the 2022 exam.

As a result, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) cancelled her provisional candidature on July 31 and banned her from taking any future exams. Khedkar now faces criminal charges, including fraud, cheating, and forgery. She has challenged the UPSC’s decision in the Delhi High Court, asserting that she did not manipulate her identity.

Previously serving as a probationary assistant collector in Pune, Khedkar was transferred to Washim amid these allegations. She also filed a harassment complaint against Pune District Collector Suhas Diwase, who had raised concerns about her misuse of power.