Tag: UPSC

  • UPSC Success Story: He Failed 35 Times, Then Cracked Civil Services Exam Twice To Become IPS, Then IAS With AIR… |

    They say that those who win after facing defeat are the true champions. Such is the story of Vijay Vardhan from Haryana. Despite failing to clear any government job (Sarkari Naukri) exams, he succeeded in passing the country’s toughest exam, the UPSC. Even after numerous failures, he kept his spirits high and stood up to achieve success. He believed in himself, and his determination paid off. Today, he is an IAS officer.

    35 Failures in Government Job Exams

    Vijay Vardhan, an IAS officer, was born and raised in Sirsa, Haryana. He completed his studies in Electronics Engineering from Hisar and then moved to Delhi to prepare for the UPSC exams. Vijay faced failure in every exam he took. He appeared for government job exams 35 times but couldn’t clear even one. He also faced multiple setbacks in the UPSC exams. However, his optimism kept him going. Finally, in 2018, he passed the UPSC exam and secured the 104th rank.

    Cracking UPSC Twice

    In 2018, Vijay Vardhan’s 104th rank in the UPSC exam led to his selection as an IPS officer. However, he was not satisfied as his ultimate goal was to become an IAS officer. Undeterred, he appeared for the UPSC exam again in 2021 and successfully achieved his dream of becoming an IAS officer by ranking in top 70. Vijay Vardhan passed the UPSC exam twice, in 2018 and 2021.

    Story Of Preservance

    Vijay Vardhan’s story is one of true perseverance, demonstrating that failures are stepping stones to success. His journey from repeated failures to achieving his dream is a powerful source of inspiration for everyone.

  • Court Denies Anticipatory Bail To Ex-IAS Probationer Puja Khedkar In Quota Misuse Case |

    A Delhi court refused to grant anticipatory bail to ex-IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, who faces allegations of cheating and misusing OBC and PwD quota benefits on Thursday. Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala emphasized the need for an investigation into possible internal assistance from the UPSC in Khedkar’s case. The judge also expanded the investigation scope, instructing the Delhi Police to probe whether others have improperly benefited from OBC and PwD quotas.

    Following these developments, the UPSC annulled Khedkar’s candidacy and barred her from future examinations. The decision came after a hearing on Wednesday where Khedkar’s lawyer cited an “imminent threat of arrest.” Both the prosecution and UPSC counsel argued against her bail, accusing her of exploiting the system.

    The UPSC counsel warned of her potential to further abuse the law, describing her as a “resourceful person.” Khedkar stands accused of providing false information in her UPSC Civil Services Examination application for the year 2022.

  • UPSC Cancels IAS Officer Puja Khedkar’s Provisional Candidature, Bans Her From Future Exams |

    The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has cancelled the selection of Puja Khedkar as a trainee IAS officer. Additionally, Khedkar has been permanently barred from taking any future UPSC exams after being found guilty of identity fraud.

    The UPSC has officially stated that Puja Khedkar violated the Civil Services Examination (CSE) rules by falsely availing more attempts than permitted. According to the commission, a Show Cause Notice (SCN) was issued to Khedkar on July 18, 2024, for her fraudulent actions. She was found to have faked her identity to circumvent the attempt limits set by the examination rules.

     Failure To Respond to Show Cause Notice

    The 34-year-old was initially given until July 25 to respond to the SCN but requested an extension until August 4. The UPSC granted an extension until July 30, emphasizing that this would be her final opportunity to present an explanation. Despite this extension, Khedkar failed to submit any response within the prescribed time.

    Upon careful examination of the available records, the UPSC determined that Khedkar had indeed violated the CSE-2022 rules. As a result, her provisional candidature for the CSE-2022 was cancelled, and she has been permanently debarred from all future UPSC examinations and selections.

    Examination of Past Candidates

    In the aftermath of this incident, the UPSC conducted a thorough review of data from over 15,000 candidates who cleared the IAS screening process between 2009 and 2023. This extensive investigation revealed that, apart from Khedkar, no other candidate had exceeded the permissible number of attempts under the CSE rules.

    The UPSC acknowledged that Khedkar’s case slipped through their Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) due to her changing not only her name but also her parents’ names. In response, the UPSC is working to further strengthen its SOPs to prevent such incidents in the future.

    The UPSC clarified that it performs only a preliminary scrutiny of the candidates’ certificates, generally accepting them as genuine if issued by a competent authority. The commission highlighted that it lacks the mandate and resources to verify the authenticity of thousands of certificates submitted annually. The scrutiny and verification of certificates’ genuineness are typically carried out by the mandated authorities.

  • After Puja Khedkar, Debate Surrounding Ex-IAS Abhishek Singh’s UPSC Selection In ‘Disability Quota’ Heats Up |

    Pooja Khedkar, a trainee IAS officer from the 2023 batch, is under fire for allegedly misusing the Other Backward Class quota and disability benefits to obtain an IAS job. Khedkar is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the 2023 batch who is currently on probation and assigned to her home cadre in Maharashtra. The 34-year-old has become a subject of discussion recently due to allegations surrounding her demands before assuming the role of Assistant Collector in Pune. It is alleged that she requested separate accommodation from the Pune District Collector before taking charge.

    Additionally, she was reportedly using a private Audi car with a special registration number. Amidst rising questions about her appointment, the central government has initiated an inquiry into the matter. The controversy has gained traction on social media, where former IAS officer Abhishek Singh’s appointment from the 2011 batch has also come under scrutiny. The viral nature of the posts has prompted various reactions from social media users.

    One user speculated that Abhishek Singh might be the same person known for dancing and possibly a hero figure. According to UPSC’s PDF, Singh has been allocated a quota, specifically under Locomotor Disability (LD). This has raised questions about whether Singh is eligible under this category. Social media users have expressed mixed opinions following the posts going viral.

    One user claimed that Singh had been dismissed by the Uttar Pradesh government, while another mentioned his attempt to rejoin the IAS after not succeeding in becoming a Member of Parliament, but was advised by the Yogi government to focus on politics instead. The controversy has also led to broader discussions about transparency in the UPSC appointments.

     

    अभिषेक सिंह,,,,, शाय़द वहीं अभिषेक सिंह जो डांस करते हैं,,ये वहीं अभिषेक सिंह हैं जो हीरो हैं,,, यूपीएससी के पीडीएफ के अनुसार इनको कोटा मिला है,,, और ये कोटा LD लगा हुआ है,
    क्या अभिषेक सिंह Locomotor Disability से ग्रसित हैं ? pic.twitter.com/GUzO4jtF60
    — UPSC के लुटेरे हैं सब दिल्ली में (@VivekGa54515036) July 12, 2024

    A user criticized the lack of transparency in the entire UPSC process, from preliminaries to interviews, within a year’s time. Another user argued against the meaningfulness of the LD quota, citing their achievement of securing the 94th rank in the examination. As the debate unfolds, stakeholders continue to call for greater transparency and accountability in the bureaucratic selection process.

  • Opinion: IAS Puja Khedkar Row Questions Integrity Of UPSC; Shows Uber-Competitive Exam Can Be Rigged |

    For the past few years, incidents of paper leaks have become common. Lakhs of students suffer due to this, many lose hope, many opportunities due to age limits and exam cancellation and many stare at an uncertain future. The paper leak issue gained prominence after Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh witnessed multiple exam leaks within a shorter span of time and it peaked when the prestigious medical entrance exam NEET-UG paper was leaked in Bihar and exam centres were managed in Gujarat and Haryana. 

    After NEET, the NET-UG exams came under the scanner for paper leak, the recent incident of an IAS selection has raised serious question marks on the integrity of the prestigious Union Public Service Commission. The selection of Puja Khedkar has raised some serious questions not only on the UPSC exam but also on the panel which interviewed her and the official who issued a joining later to her overriding CAT ruling. The puja Khedkar incident shows that even the UPSC exam can be rigged and compromised. It also shows that politicians and ex-civil servants can influence the interview of desired candidates. 

    RTI replies obtained by a Maharashtra activist expose Puja Khedkar’s selection at multiple levels. Her claim of falling into the OBC non-creamy layer is also under question. She is also accused of changing her OBC category. As per RTI replies, his father Dilip Khedkar, a retired government official, has assets of over Rs 40 crore. Even Puja Khedkar has assets worth Rs 22 crore and an annual income of Rs 42 lakh, way higher than the non-creamy layer’s limit of Rs 8 lakh.

    IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s parents, having a non-creamy layer certificate, possess property that includes 110 acres of agricultural land, violating the Agricultural Land Ceiling Act, 6 shops (1.6 lakh sq ft), 7 flats, including one in Hiranandani; 900 grams of gold, diamonds, a… pic.twitter.com/V9u1P5CQ0O
    — Vijay Kumbhar (@VijayKumbhar62) July 11, 2024

    Coming to her disability claims. In 2021, she was selected as Assistant Director in sport authority in OBC PwBD 1 but in 2023, she mysteriously changed her category PwBD1 to PwBD5 which she used to get selected as IAS. She is facing allegations of fudging her Physical Disability certificate in connivance with state government officials using his father’s influence.

    2. In 2021, Pooja selected as Assistant Director in sport authority in OBC PwBD 1 but in 2023, she mysteriously chanced her category 4m PwBD1 to PwBD5 & got selected as IAS. pic.twitter.com/IZJNdT1JqC
    — The Story Teller (@IamTheStory__) July 10, 2024

    While news interviews and viral videos of her mock interviews show that she is completely fine, Khedkar claimed that she of visually impaired and mentally ill. Civil services are prestigious posts and the IAS officers often deal with many critical situations including riots and stone pelting which requires quick decision making. How can a person claiming to be mentally ill become suitable for such a post? The Centre needs to revise the disability criteria for selections in the civil services. It’s also being alleged that of the six medical tests scheduled at AIIMS Delhi to ascertain her disability, Khedkar half-attended only the sixth and skipped the earlier five giving different reasons. She also did not go under the MRI test to ascertain her visual impairment. 

    It seems that a mysterious hand is working all the time supporting her selection. The 32-year-old IAS officer got 841 rank in the civil services exam under the OBC-PwBD5 quota. While only those securing a rank till 180 get an IAS posting, Puja Khedkar mysteriously got the IAS post despite a very low rank. Since she did not complete all required steps including the medical test, the UPSC had challenged her selection before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). The CAT even ruled against her in February 2023. Yet she got a joining letter months later. This allegedly shows that some UPSC insiders helped her despite the CAT ruling bypassing the government. It is being alleged that her father Dilip Khedkar used his influence with the support of some big politicians. 

    The allocation of the IAS posting to Khedkar, who allegedly deceived the system about her economic background and misrepresented her health, has brought shock to lakhs of students who work extremely hard every year in seclusion sacrificing their family time, their social life despite failures waiting for their next attempt until they exhaust all options. 

    The Khedkar episode will reveal the true face of the government – will she be sacked and booked for fraud if found guilty or is she only offered punishment posting?  Her selection and the allegations surrounding her is a test case for the government. Since the issue has shot to the limelight due to constant media coverage, the government has appointed a single-member panel to look into the allegations. However, the data available in the public domain prima facie shows she did her best to game the system and succeeded in her attempt. Now, it’s up to the government to bring the truth to the fore and restore the credibility of the UPSC which is under scanner.