Fresh allegations against trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar: Misuse of OBC quota for MBBS admission emerges

Khedkar allegedly gained entry under the OBC Nomadic Tribe-3 category, despite her father being a serving bureaucrat in Maharashtra at the time. According to reports, her admission bypassed the Common Entrance Test (CET) score, relying instead on the private college's entrance exam.

Amidst ongoing controversy, trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar on Monday (July 15) faced fresh allegations regarding her educational background. Reports suggest Khedkar secured admission for MBBS at Pune's Kashibai Navale Medical College using the OBC non-creamy layer quota, reserved for the Vanjari community.

Khedkar allegedly gained entry under the OBC Nomadic Tribe-3 category, despite her father being a serving bureaucrat in Maharashtra at the time. According to reports, her admission bypassed the Common Entrance Test (CET) score, relying instead on the private college's entrance exam.

Contradicting these claims, Arvind Bhore, director of Kashibai Navale Medical College, asserted that Khedkar was admitted in 2007 through the CET. He also said that she provided a medical fitness certificate, which did not indicate any disability.

"She had submitted the caste certificate, caste validity, and non-creamy layer certificate... She also submitted the certificate of medical fitness which does not mention any disability there," Bhore told news agency.

Khedkar's non-creamy OBC status and her Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD) certificate have come under scrutiny following allegations of misuse of power during her posting in Pune, including demands for a separate cabin and staff, which led to her abrupt transfer to Washim district.

Adding to the controversy, Khedkar's father, retired bureaucrat Dilip Khedkar, who contested the Lok Sabha elections, declared property worth Rs 40 crore in his poll affidavit. He defended his daughter and said, "She has a certain category of mental illness which was also verified by medical professionals before the disability certificate was issued."