New Delhi. The central government has terminated the service of Pooja Khedkar, who was embroiled in a controversy of becoming an IAS by passing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam on the basis of fake certificates. UPSC had disqualified her in July itself, but she had challenged it and said that UPSC does not have the right to terminate her service. Now the Government of India itself has terminated her service. On Friday, September 6, the Center terminated the service of trainee IAS Pooja Khedkar with immediate effect.
Action has been taken against her under Section 12 of the IAS Probation Rules, 1954. Pooja was a trainee IAS of the 2023 batch. She was training since June 2024. She is accused of giving wrong information about herself in the Public Service Examination 2022 to take advantage of reservation. UPSC found Pooja guilty in its investigation. After this, Pooja’s selection was canceled on 31 July.
Pooja Khedkar was accused of appearing in the civil services examination more than the prescribed limit by giving wrong information about her age, mother and father, and changing her identity. After the selection was cancelled, Pooja lost her post and was barred from appearing in any UPSC examination in future. Pooja is also accused of submitting a fake disability certificate. She had told the Delhi High Court in her interim bail plea that she was ready to get her disability examined at AIIMS. Earlier, the High Court had stayed Pooja Khedkar’s arrest and had sought a status report. On September 4, the Delhi Police had filed a new status report in the High Court and said that one of the two disability certificates submitted by Pooja to the UPSC is suspected to be fake. Pooja’s troubles may increase in this case.