Probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who is at the centre of a controversy for allegedly lying about her mental and visual impairment to qualify for Civil Services, had applied for a disability certificate in October 2022 from the Aundh District Hospital (ADH) in Pune. However, her request was denied by the medical facility.
"We regret to inform you that it is not possible to issue a disability certificate in your favour. In case you are aggrieved by the rejection of your application, you may represent to Issuing Medical Authority Pune, Maharashtra, requesting for review of this decision," read the letter.
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Dr Nagnath Yempalay, district civil surgeon and head of ADH, said, "We received the application for Puja Khedkar for the locomotor disability test but our system showed a duplication so we rejected the application. The candidate had earlier applied to the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) and they had issued her the certificate."
The YCMH had issued Khedkar a disability certificate in August 2022. As per this certificate, she has a locomotor disability. "The diagnosis in her case is old ACL tear with left knee instability. She has seven per cent Permanent Disability in relation to her LEFT LOWER LIMB as per the guidelines," reads the certificate.
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Speaking on this matter, Dean of YCM Hospital, Dr Rajendra Wable told this newspaper, "The certificate was issued in August 2022 and it was an online application. She was given a seven per cent locomotor (physical disability) certificate. However, 7 per cent of locomotor certificates are not a benchmark for reservations. At least 40 per cent locomotor is required."
Khedkar had previously submitted two medical certificates — one indicating visual impairment and the other mental illness — to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category.
These certificates were issued by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital. Each certificate was granted by different committees, one in 2018 and the other in 2021.
Meanwhile, her father Dilip Khedkar has defended her, stressing that she hadn't done anything illegal.
He said, "The government establishes a benchmark to determine a person's disability, and my daughter meets the criteria." "Many disabilities are not visible but are identified through medical tests. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she missed some check-ups," he added.
Notably, the Centre has constituted a single-member committee for re-examining the officer's documents submitted to secure her candidature in the civil services examination and then for IAS selection.
