Chink in the armour?

IAS probationer Pooja Khedkar is in the news these days for all the wrong reasons. Social media and mainstream media are coming out with stories alleging various fraudulent ways in which she managed to be selected for the IAS by the UPSC. In addition, new incidents of her misconduct or misdemeanours are being reported daily. The UPSC exam, which selects candidates for the civil service, including the IAS, has been revered as a symbol of virtue. It is believed that this autonomous body, manned by some of the most eminent academicians and retired civil servants, has maintained the highest standards of integrity and probity over the years while conducting the civil service exam. Now, suddenly, this one probationer has put all this earned reputation under a cloud, and the system for selecting candidates for the highest government services is being questioned. It is indeed not only disturbing but shocking.

Nothing would have probably come to light if IAS probationer Pooja Khedkar had not thrown her weight around when she joined Pune for the mandated period of district training. It was her overbearing personality and a mistaken sense of entitlement that apparently blew her cover. Having been an IAS officer, I am well aware that a probationer under training is not entitled to any major benefits. She has to depend totally on the District Collector, and it is up to the Collector to provide any facilities to her. She cannot rightfully demand anything. In this case, it appears that the probationer in question had an exaggerated sense of her powers and status as a trainee IAS officer. She evidently demanded an office, staff, vehicle, and similar perquisites. She went overboard by using a private car—an Audi! The best IAS officers, even at the end of their careers, cannot afford to own an Audi. She did not stop there. She installed a red beacon light on this car, even though no IAS probationer is entitled to any beacon—red, blue, or any other colour—on her car. There are clear rules prescribed under the motor vehicle act, following a Supreme Court judgment, which define the eligibility for sporting a beacon light on a car. Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, and the District Magistrates are the only IAS officers on this eligibility list. Even more disconcerting is that Pooja managed to get a VIP number for her car and also exhibited on the car that it is a Government vehicle. I am amazed at how, as a trainee officer, she could get the car from a contractor! She went further and forcibly occupied the office of a senior officer. Her conduct was not found acceptable by the District Collector, who wrote against her to the Government, and the storm broke loose.

Furthermore, it has come to light that she was selected on the basis of a disability certificate and a certificate indicating she does not belong to the creamy layer under the OBC reservation category. Both certificates are now alleged to have been fraudulently obtained. Evidently, her family and she herself own assets far above what a lower-middle-income family would own, and she has refused to appear before a medical board for verifying her disability certificates. An inquiry has been ordered by the Government of India, and the district training of Pooja Khedkar has been cut short. She has been asked to report back to the Mussoorie Academy. If the inquiry finds the charges against her to be correct, she can be discharged from service.

Had it not been for her domineering behaviour, maybe all these other irregularities would not have come to light. You could say that she brought it on herself. Her sense of privilege and resourcefulness at the beginning of her career is unbelievable. If she was selected due to fraud, it is a frightening thought that the hallowed UPSC selection process can be manipulated. I can only look back at my training year when I joined District Gorakhpur in UP as an IAS probationer with amusement. I recall having sent a letter to the Collector about my arrival and expected that somebody would receive me and take me to the Circuit House. At the station, I looked around in vain, but there was nobody. I got onto a cycle rickshaw and asked the driver to take me to the Circuit House. I thought a room would have been booked for me, but it was not so. I had to literally plead with the caretaker to open a room for me, which he did, taking pity on me. He, however, warned me that if I did not procure the allotment order by lunchtime, he would throw my luggage out! I dressed up smartly and reached the camp office of the Collector at 10:00 AM sharp. As expected, I was not allowed entry until I drew myself to my full height and, with as much confidence as I could muster, disclosed that I was an IAS probationer. The chief orderly of the Collector appeared to be an old hand and instantly became respectful. He made way for me and ushered me into the presence of the Collector, where with a flourish, he introduced me: “Sarkar, new junt sahib has come.” In UP, young IAS officers on training and initial posting are called Joint Magistrates, which in common parlance gets shortened to “Junt Sahib.”

The Collector ignored my presence for a couple of minutes as he attended to his files. He finally looked up at me, and I introduced myself: "Sir, IAS probationer Alok Ranjan reporting for training." He was not happy and muttered something about why the Mussoorie Academy sends probationers for training without consulting the Collector. In a matter-of-fact voice, he said, "Now that you have come, you might as well sit down." I have never felt more deflated in my life. To cut the story short, he passed me on to his Additional Collector for training and was kind enough to allot me a single room in the officers' hostel. To reach the office, I had to walk about a kilometre until a senior Deputy Collector realized my predicament and offered to pick me up while going to the office. Beyond office hours, if I had to go anywhere, the cycle rickshaw was the only option. Yet I did not make any demands, nor did I feel upset. I got down to the task of doing my training and felt quite satisfied. I am sure most IAS officers have similar stories about their training period. Some fare better than others, depending upon the personality of the Collector.

I hope the controversy regarding Pooja Khedkar ends soon, and if she is guilty of fraud, then she should be punished for it. However, my greater concern is whether the UPSC system is being manipulated. Is Pooja the single exception, or are there hundreds who are violating the sanctity of the selection process of UPSC by using forged or fraudulent caste, income, or disability certificates? A thorough inquiry should be conducted into this. In these days of technology, it should not be difficult to evolve a foolproof system for checking the veracity of the certificates required for various categories of candidates. Not only should this be done, but it should also be made transparent, and citizens should be informed about it so that no wrong perception about the exam percolates in society. Also, the faith in the civil service selection system must be reaffirmed so that people continue to trust the UPSC and believe that civil servants are selected on merit and that there is no way to manipulate the system. Furthermore, let the impression not go that IAS officers or civil servants are not honest. Most of them work with dedication and a sense of service to the nation with honesty and integrity.

The writer is an ex-Chief Secretary, Govt of Uttar Pradesh. Views expressed are personal