Puja Khedkar is a 2023-batch IAS officer who secured an all-India rank of 841 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam. She comes from a family dedicated to public service, with her father, Dilip Khedkar, being a retired administrative officer.
She recently came into the spotlight when some reports said she didn’t fall under the OBC non-creamy layer category because her father had assets worth ₹40 crore. “As per the rules, only those come under the OBC non-creme layer category whose parents are under 8 lac per annum of income, but their income shows that it is ₹40 crore. Her parents contested the recent Lok Sabha polls 2024, and all the property details are there in the affidavit.
Puja Khedkar Biography
Puja’s exact age is not known but she is around 32 years old and she was born in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. She is an Indian national by birth who follows the Hindu religion.
Puja Khedkar Education & Qualification
Puja’s proper educational qualification is not provided in the public domain but she might have done it from her respective hometown.
Puja Khedkar Parents
Puja was born to Diliprao Khedkar and Manorama Khedkar. She comes from a family of bureaucrats and politicians from Pathardi tehsil in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.
Her father is a retired Maharashtra Pollution Control Board officer. Her paternal grandfather was also a senior bureaucrat. Diliprao Khedkar contested the Lok Sabha elections 2024 as a Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) candidate. Puja’s mother is a sarpanch of Bhalgaon, the family’s village. 1freepressjournal
Puja Khedkar Husband
Puja is unmarried as of now ( no husband).
Puja Khedkar’s Career Controversy
Puja cleared the UPSC exam in 2021. She faced legal issues with UPSC at the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) because she didn’t attend a medical exam to confirm her disability for blindness and mental illness, which would qualify her for special benefits.
UPSC asked Puja to take the medical exam at AIIMS, New Delhi, in April 2022. She asked for a delay due to COVID-19, and it was rescheduled to August 2022. UPSC also requested a brain MRI to verify her vision loss. She submitted an MRI report from a private facility, which UPSC rejected. The UPSC challenged her selection, and the CAT ruled against her on February 23, 2023.
Later, her MRI certificate was accepted, and she was appointed as an IAS officer. Activists questioned her Other Backward Classes (non-creamy layer) status, claiming she came from a wealthy family. Activist Vijay Kumbhar cited her father’s election affidavit to support this.
Puja is also accused of misusing her authority by using facilities not permitted for probationary officers. She allegedly used a red-blue beacon and a government board on her private car, occupied an office without permission, and removed office furniture without consent. Her father reportedly pressured officials to meet her demands. 2livemint
Puja Khedkar’s Net Worth
Some reports alleged that Khedkar herself owns property valued at ₹17 crore. 3financialexpress
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