Mahnisagar:

Gujarat Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani on Wednesday demanded the suspension of Mahisagar District Collector Neha Kumari, accusing her of making anti-Dalit comments, a charge the bureaucrat rejected.

Mr Mevani’s demand comes a week after he sought similar action against senior IPS officer Rajkumar Pandian for allegedly misbehaving with him and one of his party colleagues.

The MLA targeted Kumari citing a purported video in which she was heard saying that 90 per cent of cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, or the Atrocities Act, are used for blackmailing.

The IAS officer termed the lawmaker’s claims “baseless” and an unsuccessful attempt to get political mileage.

Mr Mevani visited Lunawada, the district headquarters, and demanded that an FIR be registered against the collector under the Atrocities Act and that she was suspended over her “insensitive” remarks and “unparliamentary” words.

When one Vijay Parmar went to meet the collector with his grievance at the SWAGAT programme on October 23, she used “unparliamentary” words against him and also insulted the lawyer community by saying they should be “slapped with slippers”, the Vadgam MLA told reporters.

SWAGAT is an initiative of the Gujarat government for the redressal of people’s grievances.

According to Mevani, the collector’s claim that 90 per cent of cases under the Atrocities Act are misused for blackmailing is an insult to the SC and ST communities and amounts to an offence under the Atrocities Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

“We demand Kumari’s suspension and that a case be registered against her,” he said.

The district collector called the MLA’s allegations a “political stunt”.

“The man whom the MLA called poor, innocent young friend (Vijay Parmar) has a police case against him, and his brother has more than one case of rape, kidnapping and assault against him,” Kumari said, adding that they keep visiting the collector’s office with grievances.

At the SWAGAT programme on October 23, he pressured the collector to file a case against police officers. When the collector told him that she did not have the power to file a case and that he should approach the superintendent of police (SP) or the court, he continued to pester her over his issue, she said.

He even threatened the officers and told the collector that she was a Brahmin and he would let her know what “section 4 of the Atrocities Act entailed”, she said.

“You can understand the direction in which this MLA wants to take law and order by keeping a person with a criminal history along with him even when the state government is sensitive about children and women,” she said.

The collector said that the way Vijay Parmar is “blackmailing” government employees in the name of the Atrocities Act is not at all right. “The MLA’s support to such people makes it difficult for the real complainants and the real victims to get justice,” she said.

Last week, Congress leaders and Dalit community members gathered outside the office of the Director General of Police in the state capital Gandhinagar demanding the suspension of senior IPS officer Rajkumar Pandian over his alleged misbehaviour with Mevani and his party colleague. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Pune:

A civic hospital near Pune, which had issued a seven per cent locomotor disability certificate to IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, has found in its internal probe that the document was as per the rules and there was no wrongdoing in its issuance, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital, run by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) near Pune city, had issued the certificate to Ms Khedkar in August 2022.

Ms Khedkar faces an allegation of using fraudulent means, including allegedly manipulating the physical disability and Other Backward Classes (OBC) quotas to clear the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination. The authenticity of various certificates submitted by her to the UPSC is being probed.

She applied for disability certification about her left limb knee joint back in 2022. She visited the hospital for medical examinations and was assessed by multiple departments. The certificate, issued on August 24, 2022, stated that she had seven per cent disability in the knee, officials earlier said.

YCM’s dean Dr Rajendra Wable had sought a report from the internal speciality orthopaedic and physiotherapy department of the hospital following a communication from the district collectorate that asked the civic-run facility to conduct an inquiry if there was any wrongdoing in the issuance of the disability certificate to Ms Khedkar. The district authorities also directed it to lodge a police complaint if any wrongdoing was found.

It also ordered that penal action be taken if any racket was found involved in it.

Dr Wable said, “Last week, we received this communication from the Pune collector office, following which we sought a report from the internal speciality orthopaedic and physiotherapy department of the hospital. As per the report submitted by it on Monday, the locomotor disability certificate of seven per cent was issued to Ms Khedkar as per the rules.”

“But the certificate would not be of any help in obtaining any facility either in education or jobs. That certificate is of no significance,” he said.

As per the investigation, no one was found guilty of any wrongdoing, Dr Wable added.

Ms Khedkar had earlier submitted two certificates, provided by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital in 2018 and 2021 for visual impairment and mental illness respectively, to the UPSC under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category.

The 2023-batch IAS officer, who was a probationary assistant collector at the Pune district collectorate, was transferred to Washim from Pune earlier this month amid allegations that she misrepresented herself under the physical disabilities category.

During her stint in Pune, she allegedly misused power and privileges by demanding perks and facilities she was not entitled for. She is also accused of availing the OBC and non-creamy layer quota in the UPSC.

Following allegations against her, her probation period was put on hold and she was recalled to Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Uttarakhand’s Mussoorie. Last week, UPSC took a series of actions, including registration of a police case, against Ms Khedkar for fraudulently availing attempts in the civil services examination by faking her identity.

The commission has also issued a show-cause notice for cancellation of her candidature of the civil services examination-2022 and debarment from future examinations and selections.

The Centre has directed the Pune police to apprise it of the marital status of Ms Khedkar’s parents amid allegations that she fraudulently availed of the OBC non-creamy layer benefit in the UPSC exam by claiming that they were divorced.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

A probationary IAS officer in Maharashtra has been transferred to Washim over an alleged misuse of her power as a civil servant. Puja Khedkar, who had secured an All India Rank 821 in the UPSC exams, was posted as an assistant collector in Pune.

A controversy erupted after she was found availing facilities that are not given to probation officers. This included the use of a red-blue beacon and a board stating “Maharashtra Government” on her private Audi car.

She was also found occupying the ante-chamber of additional collector Ajay More when he was away. She had removed office furniture without Mr More’s consent and even asked the revenue assistant to provide her with a letterhead, nameplate, and other facilities in their name.

Pune Collector Suhas Divase shot a letter to the state’s Chief Secretary after the violations came to the fore, leading to her transfer from Pune to Washim.

“The 2023 batch IAS officer will serve the remaining period of her probation as super numerary assistant collector in Washim district,” the order stated.

Reports suggest Ms Khedkar’s father, a retired administrative officer, also pressured the District Collector’s office to ensure her demands were fulfilled.

The husband of an IAS officer was held on charges of “immoral trafficking” after he was found with a woman at a house in Sarabha Nagar here during a raid, police said on Sunday.

The man was booked on charges of Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act, they said.

Police raided the house Friday night after they were tipped off about a suspected sex racket being operated from there.

The IAS officer has served at several high-ranking posts. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Cracking the UPSC Civil Services exam remains a coveted goal for many in India, and IAS officer Sonal Goel has shared her UPSC marksheet to inspire and motivate people “to believe in their abilities”. Ms Goel, who cracked the UPSC Civil Services exam in 2008, recounted her initial setback in 2007 when she fell short of qualifying for the interview stage due to low marks in General Studies papers.

“However, this setback fueled my determination to leave no stone unturned in achieving my goal,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday and emphasised the importance of dedication and relentless effort.

“I then devoted myself entirely to mastering the General Studies paper and improving at other aspects of Mains emphasising on Notes making, repeated revisions and #AnswerWriting. I poured my heart and soul into every aspect of the syllabus , alongwith pursuing my LLB from Delhi University and doing a part time job as CS – Company Secretary.

“In my second attempt, I not only cleared the exam but also achieved the highest marks in General Studies compared to my optional subjects—Commerce and Public Administration,” she said.

Reflecting on her journey, Ms Goel conveyed a valuable lesson for aspirants, stating, “It’s a reminder that with dedication and relentless effort, no obstacle is insurmountable.”

Encouraging aspirants to learn from setbacks, she urged them to view every failure as an opportunity for learning, improvisation, and ultimate triumph.

“Believe in your abilities, pursue your goals with passion, and never lose sight of your dreams. It is through perseverance that greatness is achieved,” the IAS officer wrote.

Along with the long note and a picture of her marksheet, Ms Goel said, “Nostalgic moment as I came across my #UPSC Civil Services 2007 #Mains marksheet, reminding me of the trials and triumphs that led to final selection.”

Nostalgic moment as I came across my #UPSC Civil Services 2007 #Mains marksheet, reminding me of the trials and triumphs that led to final selection in #May2008 Results ????????

I just want to share with the aspirants that in my first attempt, I fell short of getting an Interview call… pic.twitter.com/9VY8k6sFqQ

— Sonal Goel IAS ???????? (@sonalgoelias) February 21, 2024

The post has garnered instant attention online, resonating with aspirants from various backgrounds.

A user commented, “Congratulations. Very nice and motivating for all UPSC aspirants specially students taking Commerce and Law as their educational curriculum.”

Congratulations. Very nice and motivating for all UPSC aspirants specially students taking Commerce and Law as their educational curriculum. Can you please share your complete educational qualification which I think will further encourage aspirants.

— ratnesh nandkeolyar (@ratnesh_123) February 21, 2024

Another wrote, “Great to see. Currently children don’t have many role models and are worshipping/following “self serving only” individuals and are away from reality. This post is a great one to start!”

Gr8 to see. Currently children dont have many role models and are worshipping/following “self serving only” individuals and are away from reality. This post is a great one to start!

— San_Jeev (@Sanjeevuniverse) February 23, 2024

Sonal Goel’s story serves as a powerful reminder that with self-belief and hard work, individuals can overcome challenges.