Pooja Khedkar and the Pandora's box of fake OBC and PWD cards that are rusting India's 'steel frame' | 360° View

The controversy surrounding IAS provisional candidate Pooja Khedkar’s OBC and disability status seems to have turned nasty, as allegations of false disability applications by a number of IAS and IPS officers have been circulating on social media, with activists also posting screenshots of lists of several IAS and IPS officers with candidates under special categories – OBC (non-creamy class) or EWS (economically weaker sections).

Following a social media campaign and a widely circulated list of suspects, many civil servants across India are demanding a thorough investigation into the allegations. Experts warn that these accusations of forging entry-level certificates indicate that the “steel frame” of India’s bureaucracy has become significantly less reliable and may be “rusting out.”

Hundreds of posts have been flooded across social media platforms sharing photographs, financial details, family history etc of officers accused of forging and altering documents, raising questions about the verification system for OBC and EWS quotas and reservation for the disabled.

Meanwhile, several allegations have also emerged of genuine OBC and EWS candidates being excluded from the All India Services despite obtaining valid ranks. These irregularities not only undermine the integrity of the reservation system but also deprive deserving candidates of legitimate opportunities.

Pandora’s Box

The series of incidents and revelations surrounding Pooja Khedkar’s candidature have triggered a wider debate over the selection process by India’s most respected and prestigious body, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which builds the country’s “steel bones”.

A senior IAS officer in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said the government is closely monitoring social media posts and internet campaigns. “If the government receives a formal complaint against the candidature of an officer, it will verify the details and may initiate an investigation. Questions have been raised against nearly a dozen IAS and IPS officers. Many of them are currently in the prime of their careers while some are still at the junior level,” the officer said on condition of anonymity.

“An investigation based on a social media campaign is not possible, but the government has ways of assessing the officers in question and it will be done through due process,” he added.

What is Non-Cream Layer OBC Reservation?

Reservations have always been a contentious and contentious issue in the country in the areas of education and employment. Reservations were introduced for the upliftment of historically marginalized communities such as Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

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In 1980, the Mandal Commission recommended 27% reservation for OBCs in government and educational institutions, which was implemented in 1992. Reservation for OBCs in the Indian bureaucracy was subsequently introduced. Before the 1990s, reservations were only available to SC and ST candidates.

However, the government has subsequently revised the OBC reservation policy for the highly competitive All India Services (AIS).The UPSC rules now state, “Reservation will be made to candidates belonging to the OBC category in respect of vacancies specified by the Government. No reservation/relaxation will be granted to OBC candidates belonging to the creamy layer.”It further clarifies that the term “OBC” is being used to mean “non-creamy layer OBC”.

UPSC has also said that candidates applying under the OBC category will be required to submit an OBC certificate, which can only be issued by authorities such as a district magistrate, collector, additional or sub-division magistrate.

The list of authorities who can issue this certificate also includes IAS officers.Activists have alleged in multiple social media posts that all the officers with dubious candidacy qualifications also hail from bureaucratic families.

“There are leaks in the system. If a candidate has a bureaucrat in his family, he can easily be issued an OBC certificate. The UPSC needs a strong verification system but that seems to be missing,” said another senior IAS officer.

What is a reservation for people with disabilities?

UPSC has made reservations for candidates with disabilities as part of its efforts to promote inclusivity and ensure equal opportunities in the civil service. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 mandates reservation of 4% of vacancies in government jobs for PwD (personal disability) candidates. The Act clearly defines the category.

According to the law, there are 21 categories of disabilities, including blindness, hearing impairment, mobility impairment, mental illness and multiple disabilities.

As per the UPSC disability policy, the commission has earmarked 4% of the total vacancies for different categories of disabled people, which include mobility impairment, blindness and weak vision, hearing impairment and multiple disabilities.

In some of the indictments, several officers are accused of faking a “mobility disorder.” A mobility disorder refers to a medical condition that limits a person’s freedom of movement or restricts a person’s movement. The condition could be caused by an infection with polio, muscular dystrophy, a spinal cord injury, or amputation of a limb.

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Retired and serving bureaucrats across states and organisations are calling for a stronger mechanism to verify these certificates. “Though the government has established a verification mechanism to scrutinise the genuineness of OBC and PWD certificates through periodic audits, the system is still not foolproof, which is why gaps occur,” said a senior Indian Forest Service (IFoS) official working in a northern state.

“UPSC needs to maintain a stricter verification process and impose stiffer penalty on those found guilty of document forgery. The commission may use technologies like digital certificates and databases to improve the verification process and reduce frauds,” he added.

What is a reservation for people with disabilities?

According to the law, there are 21 categories of disabilities, including blindness, hearing impairment, mobility impairment, mental illness and multiple disabilities.

What are the reforms required?