Puja Khedkar, a trainee IAS officer in controversy over alleged misuse of quotas and abuse of power, is facing fresh scrutiny after a discrepancy emerged in her age on official documents.

Khedkar, a 34-year-old IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, cleared the UPSC civil service exam under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) categories, as she declared herself to be from the non-creamy layer and reportedly cited her visual and mental disabilities.

However, Khedkar did not undergo tests to prove her PwBD status. The UPSC had challenged her selection before the Central Appellate Tribunal (CAT), which ruled against her in February 2023.

 

Khedkar's CAT application forms from 2020 and 2023, seeking relaxation of the upper age limit for employment of persons with benchmark disability for herself, show only a one-year age difference, despite a three-year gap in between.