17 Jul
IAS probationer Pooja Khedkar is in the news these days for all the wrong reasons. The social media as well as media is coming out with stories alleging various fraudulent ways in which she has managed to be selected for the IAS by the UPSC. In addition, every day a new incident about her misconduct or misdemeanor is getting reported. The UPSC exam which selects candidates for the civil service including the IAS has been revered as a symbol of virtue. It has been believed that this autonomous body manned by some of the most eminent academicians and retired civil servants has been over the years conducting the civil service exam maintaining the highest standards of integrity and probity. Now suddenly this one probationer has put all this earned reputation under a cloud and the system for selecting candidates for the highest government services is being questioned. It is indeed not only disturbing but shocking.
Nothing would have probably come to light if the IAS probationer Pooja Khedkar had not thrown her weight around when she joined Pune for the mandated period of district training. It was her overbearing personality and a mistaken sense of entitlements that apparently blew her cover. Having been an IAS officer I am well aware that a probationer under training is not entitled to any major benefits. She has to depend totally on the District Collector and it is up to the Collector to give any facilities to her. She cannot demand anything rightfully. In this case it appears that the probationer in question had an exaggerated sense of her powers and status as a trainee IAS officer. She evidently demanded an office, staff, vehicle and similar perquisites. She went overboard by using a private car and that also an Audi! The best of IAS officers even at the end of their careers cannot afford to own an Audi. She did not stop there. She installed a red beacon light on this car even though no IAS probationer is entitled any beacon red, blue or any other color on her car. There are clear rules prescribed under the motor vehicle act after a Supreme Court Judgment which defines the eligibility for sporting a beacon light on the car. Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and the District Magistrates are the only IAS officers in this eligibility list. Even more disconcerting is that Pooja managed to get a VIP number for her car and also exhibited on the car that it is a Government vehicle. I am amazed as to how as a trainee officer she could get the car from a contractor! She went further and forcibly occupied the office of a senior officer. Her conduct was not found acceptable by the District Collector who wrote against her to the Government and the storm broke loose.
Further, It has come to light that she was selected on the basis of a disability certificate and also a certificate of not belonging to the creamy layer under the OBC reservation category. Both these certificates are now being alleged to have been fraudulently obtained. Evidently her family and she herself own assets far above what a lower middle income family would own and She has refused to appear before a medical board for verifying her disability certificates. An inquiry has been ordered by the Government of India and the district training of Pooja Khedkar has been cut short and She has been asked to report back to the Mussoorie Academy. It the inquiry finds the charges against her are correct then she can be discharged from service.
Had it not been for her domineering behaviour may be all these other irregularities would not have come to light. You can say that she brought it on herself. Her sense of privilege and resourcefulness at the beginning of her career is unbelievable. If she has got selected due to fraud then it is a frightening thought that the hallowed UPSC selection process can be manipulated. I can only look back at my training year when I joined District Gorakhpur in UP as an IAS probationer with amusement. I recall having sent a letter to the Collector about my arrival and expected that somebody would receive me and take me to the Circuit House. At the station I looked around in vain but there was nobody. I got on to a cycle rickshaw and asked him to take me to the Circuit House. I thought a room would have been booked for me. But it was not so. I had to literally plead with the caretaker to open a room for me which he did taking pity on me. He, however, warned me that If I did not procure the allotment order by lunch time he would throw my luggage out! I dressed up smartly and reached the camp office of the Collector at 10:00 Am sharp. As expected I was not allowed entry till I drew myself to my full height and with as much confidence as I could muster disclosed that I was an IAS probationer. The chief orderly of the Collector appeared to be an old hand and instantly became respectful. He made way for me and ushered me into the presence of the Collector where with a flourish he introduced me “Sarkar, new junt sahib has come”. In UP young IAS officers on training and initial posting are called Joint Magistrates which in common parlance gets shortened to “Junt Sahib”. The Collector ignored my presence for a couple of minutes as he attended to his files. He finally looked up at me and I introduced myself “Sir, IAS probationer Alok Ranjan reporting for training”. He was not happy and muttered something to the effect as to why the Mussoorie Academy sends probationers for training without consulting the Collector. In a matter of fact voice he said “now that you have come you might as well sit down”. I have never felt more deflated in my life. To cut the story short he passed me on to his Additional Collector for training and was kind enough to allot me a single room in the officer’s hostel. To reach the office I had to walk about a kilometer till a senior Deputy collector realized my predicament and offered to pick me up while going to the office. Beyond office hours, if I had to go anywhere then the cycle rickshaw was the only option. Yet I did not make any demands and neither did I feel upset. I got down to the task of doing my training and felt quite satisfied. I am sure most IAS officers have similar stories about their training period. Some fare better than the others depending upon the personality of the Collector.
I hope the controversy regarding Pooja Khedkar ends soon and if she is guilty of fraud then she should be punished for it. However, my greater concern is whether the UPSC system is being manipulated? Is Pooja the single exception or there are hundreds who are violating the sanctity of the selection process of UPSC by using forged or fraudulent caste, income or disability certificates. A thorough inquiry should be conducted into this. In these days of technology it should not be difficult to evolve a foolproof system of checking the veracity of the certificates required for various categories of candidates. Not only should this be done but made transparent and the citizens should be informed about it so that no wrong perception about the exam percolates in the society. Also, the faith in the civil service selection system must be reaffirmed so that people continue to trust the UPSC and believe that civil servants are selected on merit and there is no way in which mischief can be played with the system. Also, let the impression not go that IAS officers or civil servants are not honest. Most of them work with dedication and a sense of service to the nation with honesty and integrity.
