The father of IAS officer Pooja Khedkar, accused of using fake disability and OBC certificates to clear the civil services examination, on Sunday defended her and insisted that she did nothing illegal.

New Delhi: Probationary IAS officer Pooja Khedkar, who secured an all-India rank of 821 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination, is at the center of the controversy. She faces several allegations including her alleged demand for a separate cabin and staff during her posting in Pune, her sudden transfer to Washim district and her private Audi car with red-blue lights and VIP number plate. Moreover, she occupied the previous chamber of Additional Collector Ajay More without permission, removed office furniture without consent and requested unauthorized facilities.

Earlier on Thursday, the central government had set up a single-member committee to verify Khedkar's candidature claims and other details, following allegations of abuse of authority by Khedkar as a civil servant. The father of IAS officer Pooja Khedkar, accused of using fake disability and OBC certificates to clear civil services exams, on Sunday defended her and insisted that she did nothing illegal, PTI reported. She then faced further allegations of securing a place in the IAS by appearing in the civil services examination under Other Backward Classes (OBC) – an annual income of less than Rs 8 lakh – and submitting a certificate of blind category and mental illness.

Her father and former Maharashtra government employee Dilip Khedkar, who contested the Lok Sabha elections and declared assets worth Rs 40 crore in his poll affidavit, told a Marathi news channel on Sunday that she was indeed from the non-creamy layer, PTI reported. But what is non-creamy layer and what does the Central Public Service Commission say about it in its Civil Services Prelims Notification? Read here.

The Central Public Service Commission conducts Civil Services Examinations (Preliminary, Main and Interview/Personality Test) for recruitment to services and posts like Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group 'A'. ', Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group 'A', Indian Corporate Law Service, Group 'A', Indian Defense Accounts Service, Group 'A', Indian Defense Estates Service, Group 'A', Indian Information Service, Group 'A' , Indian Postal Service, Group 'A', Indian P&T Accounts and Finance Services, Group 'A' and others.

The number of vacancies to be filled by examination includes vacancies reserved for persons with benchmark disability categories, namely (a) vacancies for candidates with blindness and low vision; (b) vacancies for the deaf; Vacancies for cerebral palsy, leprosy recovery, dwarfism, acid attack victims and locomotor disabilities including muscular dystrophy; and (e) clauses (a) to (c) vacancies for persons with multiple disabilities, including deaf-blindness.

There is also reservation for Scheduled Caste candidates. Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Economically Weaker Sections and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities will be fixed by the Government in respect of vacancies.

How UPSC gives relief to Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes

The upper age limit prescribed above shall be relaxed:

• Up to a maximum of five years if the candidate belongs to Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe;
• up to a maximum of three years in the case of Other Backward Class candidates who are entitled to the benefit of reservation applicable to such candidates;
• Up to a maximum of 10 years in case of candidates under Benchmark Persons with Disabilities (PwBD) category. (i) blindness and low vision; (ii) deaf and hard of hearing; (iii) locomotor disabilities including cerebral palsy, leprosy cures, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy; (iv) autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness; (v) Clauses (i) to (iv) disability in multiple persons including deaf-blindness.

UPSC Civil Services: Number of Attempts

Each candidate appearing for the examination, who is otherwise eligible, will be allowed six (6) attempts at CSE. However, relaxation in number of attempts will be available to SC/ST/OBC and PwBD category candidates who are otherwise eligible.

• SC/ST candidates can appear for unlimited attempts.
• Every candidate belonging to the OBC category, appearing in the examination, who is otherwise eligible, will be allowed nine (9) attempts at CSE.

Benchmark Reservation of Vacancies for Persons with Disabilities:

• Eligibility for availing reservation in vacancies reserved for benchmark persons
  Disability “Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act,
  2016)”. Candidates with multiple disabilities will be eligible for reservation under Category (E)-Multiple
  Only persons with disabilities and others are not eligible for reservation under Section 34(1) of the RPwD Act, 2016.
  (a) to (d) of Section 34(1) of the RPwD Act, 2016 being 40% and
  In any of these sub-categories of PwBD above.
• Further, candidates from persons with benchmark disability category also
  Must fulfill special eligibility criteria in terms of 'Suitable Category of Benchmark Disabilities' and
  'functional requirements' [erstwhile Functional Classification and Physical Requirements
  (abilities/disabilities) (FC&PR)] Compliant with the requirements of recognized service/post as prescribed by Govt.
• Note-I : The details of 'appropriate category of disability' and 'functional requirements' of the services participating in CSE-2024 are indicated in Annexure-IV of the rules identified and prescribed by the Government under the provisions of Section 33. and 34 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
• Note-II : Persons with Benchmark Disability (IE) category mentioned in Para-1 of this Examination Notification will be eligible to apply for the examination under PwBD category. Therefore, the concerned candidates are advised to read it carefully before applying properly to take admission in the examination.
• Note-III : Candidates belonging to Benchmark Disability category are likely to have been previously tested and possess relevant medical certificates before applying for admission to the examination. However, it is to be clearly noted that under these rules prescribed medical examination, which also includes Benchmark Disability Category(IE), will be mandatory and only the results of prescribed medical examination will be considered valid for assessing whether PwBD is present or not. Category candidates meet the requirements for appointment.

Khedkar is alleged to have submitted fake disability and other backward class (OBC) certificates to clear the civil services examination. The report claims that she has also submitted a mental illness certificate. However, in April 2022, she was asked to report to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi for verification of her disability certificate, but did not do so, citing a covid infection.

Eligibility for availing reservation:

• (1) A candidate shall be entitled to the benefit of community reservation only in certain cases
  The caste to which the candidate belongs is included in the list of reserved communities
  Central Govt.
• (2) OBC candidates applying for CSE-2024 must submit OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) certificate.
  Based on the income for the financial years (FY) 2020-2021, 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 and issued
  on/after 01.04.2023 (after completion of financial year 2022-23) but not later than the closing date
  Application for Civil Services (Primary) Exam-2024 i.e. 5th March 2024.

Pune-based RTI activist Vijay Kumhar also questioned Khedkar's appointment, alleging that she does not fall under the OBC non-creamy layer as her father owns assets worth Rs 40 crore, ANI reported. “As per the rules, only those OBCs come under the non-creamy layer category whose parents' annual income is less than 8 lakhs, but shows their income as 40 crores. Her parents recently contested the Lok Sabha elections and the affidavit contains details of all assets,” he added. “Her father Dilip Khedkar showed a conservatively estimated wealth of Rs 40 crore and an annual income of Rs 49 lakh in his Lok Sabha election affidavit. The information is in the public domain. Based on the election affidavit filed by her father in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, Khedkar's father's net worth is Rs 40 crore,” claimed Kumbhar.

• (3) A candidate shall be eligible for the benefit of Economically Weaker Section reservation only if the candidate fulfills the criteria issued by the Central Government and possesses the requisite income and asset certificate based on the Financial Year (FY) income. 2022-2023 and issued on/after 01.04.2023 (after completion of financial year 2022-23) but not later than the last date of application for Civil Services (Primary) Examination-2024 i.e. 5th March, 2024.

Candidates desiring to avail reservation/relaxation benefit for SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwBD/Exservicemen must ensure that they are eligible for such reservation/relaxation as per the eligibility prescribed in the rules/notifications. They must possess all the necessary certificates in the prescribed format in support of their claim as mentioned in the rules/instructions for such benefits by the last date of application for Civil Services (Primary) Examination, 2024.

This year, the last date fixed for receipt of applications for Civil Services (Primary) Examination –
2024 will be considered as the date of determination of OBC status (including creamy layer).
candidate