In 2023, CAT ordered cancellation of Puja Khedkar's IAS selection

UPSC and DoPT must answer how she was put on the list despite the February 2023 CAT order.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

On 23 February 2023, the Mumbai bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), ordered that the candidature and selection of the 33-year-old Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar for Civil Services Examination 2021 was liable to be cancelled because she did not appear for the medical examination that is mandatory for joining the All India Services.

The two-judge bench comprising Justice M.G. Sewlikar and Bhagwan Sahai gave this order while hearing an application that was filed by Khedkar, who has mentioned herself as working as “Assistant Director, Sports Authority of India”.

Khedkar, in her application, while impleading Union of India, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Personnel and the Union Public Services Commission had sought reservation for herself under Section 34 (d) of the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 which says that the appropriate government may, by notification, provide for such relaxation of upper age limit for employment of persons with benchmark disability, as it thinks fit.

Khedkar in her application claimed that she had appeared for the preliminary papers of the CSE 2021 during which she noticed that no reservation was provided to people with disability defined under Section 34 (D) and approached CAT to order the government to provide the said reservation as she was suffering from mental illness and blindness which are covered under the said Act.

Before approaching CAT, Khedkar had approached the Mumbai High Court in 2021 with the same demands, which permitted her to appear for the prelims. After which she cleared the prelims, mains and the interview and was recommended by the UPSC to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for recruitment into the All India Services. She was selected by availing benefits available under two categories—Other Backward Class (non-creamy layer) and MD (multiple disability).