UPSC Debars Puja Khedkar for Identity Fraud

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has permanently debarred Puja Khedkar from all future examinations and cancelled her provisional candidature for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 due to identity fraud. Khedkar was found guilty of faking her identity to exceed the permissible number of attempts, altering her name and those of her parents, and using fake documents to claim disability and Other Backward Class quotas. The UPSC issued a show cause notice to Khedkar, giving her multiple opportunities to explain her actions, which she failed to do within the given timeframe. An extensive review of candidates from 2009 to 2023 found no other similar cases. The Delhi Police Crime Branch has booked Khedkar, and the UPSC is working to strengthen its procedures to prevent such occurrences in the future.