Puja Khedkar moves court challenging cancellation of candidature by UPSC

Former probationary IAS Puja Khedkar has moved the Delhi High Court on Monday, challenging the Union Public Service Commission's (UPSC) decision to cancel her provisional candidature for the civil services examination. The court will likely take up her case on Wednesday.

Notably, the UPSC had cancelled Khedkar's provisional candidature and barred her permanently from appearing in all future exams conducted by the commission, on July 31.

The UPSC had stated that it took the decision after examining the available records carefully and found her guilty of acting in contravention of the provisions of the CSE-2022 Rules.

its press release, the UPSC said that a Show Cause Notice was issued to Khedkar on July 18 for fraudulently availing attempts beyond the permissible limit in the examination rules by "faking her identity".

However, the UPSC said that it has "carefully considered" the request of Puja Khedkar and in order to meet the ends of justice, she was granted time till 3:30 pm on July 30 to enable her to submit the response to the panel.

According to UPSC, it was also categorically made clear to her that it was the last and final opportunity for her and no further extension in time would be allowed. "It was also conveyed to her in unequivocal terms that if no response was received by the aforesaid date/time, the UPSC would take further action without entertaining any further reference from her," the UPSC had said.

"Despite the extension in time allowed to her, she failed to submit her explanation within the prescribed time," the panel said, following which her candidature was cancelled.

Source: India Today