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Indian Express
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
DoPT initiates probe into ‘fake' certificates submitted by officers of Central services
The Department of Personnel and Training has asked state governments to verify the authenticity of certificates submitted by more than a dozen Central services' officers while availing of various reservations in the Civil Services Examination, The Indian Express has learnt. The DoPT has recently sent more than a dozen letters seeking verification of the certificates, a DoPT source said on condition of anonymity. At least one such letter was sent to the Rajasthan government on May 5 asking for the verification of the income and asset certificate submitted by an IAS officer of 2022 batch. The officer, who is from Rajasthan, was selected under the Economically Weaker Section category and allotted the Madhya Pradesh cadre, as per the letter sent to the Rajasthan Chief Secretary. The DoPT also forwarded the complaint alleging use of fake income and asset certificate by the officer in question, which was forwarded to it by the Union Public Service Commission. 'The State Government is requested to verify the authenticity of I&A certificate issued to [name of the officer] under EWS category,' the DoPT wrote. The letter was shared by RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar, who had filed complaints regarding 22 officers with fake certificates of different kinds, such as EWS, SC, ST, persons with benchmark disabilities and OBC non-creamy layer, last year. Kumbhar, who is also associated with the Aam Aadmi Party, said the DoPT had initiated an inquiry into the alleged misuse of reservation certificates by multiple candidates who appeared for the CSE from 2015 to 2023. Kumbhar had also flagged the alleged fake disability certificate used by then-IAS probationer Puja Khedkar last year. The DoPT in September 2024 discharged her from service, finding that she was ineligible to be a candidate in the 2022 exam. Khedkar has challenged the decisions and the matter is pending in court. Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu's national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. ... Read More
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
DoPT directs states to probe complaints of certificate irregularities involving civil services officers
Pune: The department of personnel and training has initiated a comprehensive verification exercise targeting civil services officers, who are accused of securing their positions through alleged irregularities in reservation certificates. This follows complaints by activists from across the country, including one by Pune-based RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar. He has flagged irregularities in the selection of candidates recruited between 2015 and 2023 through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). A DoPT official, who did not wish to be named, told TOI, "Verification letters have been dispatched to various state govts, including Maharashtra." He, however, avoided getting into the numbers and the specifics of the cases under scrutiny. Kumbhar said he has received copies of DoPT letters covering 15 officials currently under investigation, which includes 11 from Indian Administrative Service (IAS), two from Indian Police Service, one from Indian Foreign Service, and one from Indian Revenue Service. "The complaints allege misuse of certificates across various reservation categories, including economically weaker sections (EWS), persons with benchmark disabilities, other backward classes–non-creamy layer, scheduled castes, and scheduled tribes," he said. The verification has begun across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Kerala. At the Central level, the ministry of home affairs, department of revenue, and the ministry of external affairs are among the departments tasked with verifying records of candidates now serving in their respective cadres. Among the 15 complaints, one involves a Maharashtra-cadre official. Senior state govt officials confirmed receiving the verification request and assured due diligence in investigating the alleged certificate irregularities. "Since the candidate has been appointed to IAS under EWS category, state govt is requested to verify the authenticity of the certificate issued to the official under EWS category and provide their comments to this department," stated the letter sent by Anshuman Mishra, under secretary, ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions, DoPT, on May 5. A copy was marked to Kumbhar. Kumbhar said the misuse of reserved category benefits in civil services recruitment not only violates constitutional provisions but also deprives genuinely deserving candidates of their rightful opportunities. "Govt must act swiftly to prevent this pattern from continuing." He highlighted particular vulnerabilities in EWS category, which relies on self-declared income limits of Rs 8 lakh per annum and loosely defined asset thresholds. "Ambiguity in eligibility norms makes it easier to manipulate the system." Kumbhar has urged Central govt, DoPT, and UPSC to undertake comprehensive structural reforms in the selection and post-selection verification. His key recommendations include real-time validation of caste, income, and domicile certificates through integration of UPSC systems with state databases, mandatory post-selection audits of reservation claims before final appointments, and strict penal provisions against candidates and certifying authorities found guilty of irregularities.
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
DoPT asks Rajasthan government to probe income certificate of IAS officer
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has asked the Rajasthan government to probe the authenticity of Income and Asset (I&A) certificate submitted by an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer which he used to avail the Economically Weaker Sections' (EWS) quota while appearing for the Civil Services Examination in 2021. The officer, a domicile of Rajasthan, was selected for the IAS in the year 2022 and was allotted the Madhya Pradesh cadre. Following a complaint by Vijay Kumbhar, a Pune-based social activist who is also associated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the DoPT on May 5 asked the Rajasthan government to 'verify the authenticity of I&A certificate' issued to the officer 'under EWS category' and sought its comments. A copy of the letter is marked to the Madhya Pradesh government. A response from the DoPT is awaited. DoPT is the cadre controlling authority of IAS officers. According to Mr. Kumbhar, who was the first to complain against IAS probationer Puja Khedkar who was sacked in 2024 for allegedly submitting fake Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) certificates and Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates to clear the 2022 civil services exam, there are at least 15 serving officers in various services who are facing the probe for misusing the reservation through fraudulent documents. He said he wrote to the President of India in August 2024 highlighting the irregularities in certificates submitted by 22 candidates under various reserved categories such as EWS, PwBD, Other Backward Classes-Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL), Scheduled Caste (SC), and Scheduled Tribe (ST) between 2015 and 2023. 'Initially when I wrote to the President, I did not get a response. However, when I started filing Right to Information (RTI) applications, the DoPT initiated the probe against documents submitted by 15 officers which include 11 IAS, two Indian Police Service (IPS), one Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and one Indian Revenue Services (IRS) officers,' Mr. Kumbhar said. 'The current probe, spanning Civil Services Examination candidates over nearly a decade, highlights a pattern of misuse that can no longer be dismissed as isolated or exceptional,' Mr. Kumbhar said. On July 26 last year, the DoPT initiated an enquiry against six civil servants including probationers to re-examine their disability parameters. The enquiry followed after several posts on social media questioned the sanctity of PwBD quota as social media profiles of the officers showed them dancing, playing sports and other outdoor activities, in contravention to the physical condition described by them in official records. The IAS and IRS officers cleared the exams in 2010, 2014, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Former IAS officer Sanjeev Gupta said that the cadre allocation of officers must show the EWS and PwBD categories against their names like it is done in the case of SC and ST officers.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
6 more months for roll-out of ‘One State, One Registration' initiative in Maharashtra as govt looks into security issues
1 2 Pune: The ambitious 'One State, One Registration' initiative, which would allow people to register properties at any of the 519 offices across Maharashtra, faces significant delays after it encountered technical hurdles and activists flagged security concerns, revenue department officials told TOI. Initially included in govt's 100-day programme, the scheme has been partially rolled out with intra-district registration launched on May 1. However, officials said after Tuesday's meeting at Mantralaya that the complex inter-district system would require additional time. "We are evaluating feedback from various stakeholders, and a complete roll-out is likely to take six more months," a senior revenue department official said. The scheme, designed to streamline property transactions, has sparked criticism from activists and property experts who warn it could enable land grabbing and create obstacles for people. Pune-based social activist Vijay Kumbhar, in a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and chief secretary Sujata Saunik, outlined several potential vulnerabilities, including risks of registration through collusion with officials, use of fake identities, and fraudulent documentation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo "This system will provide more opportunities to land mafias while depriving common people of justice and rights," Kumbhar said, citing a case from Pune where fraudsters sold a plot belonging to Anupama Sanstha using forged power of attorney documents. Prashant Mehta, a Pune-based property consultant, said the intra-district flexibility has been welcomed, but extending it across districts without proper safeguards could create more problems. "Govt appears to be recognising these legitimate concerns." Revenue officials said revenue minister Chandrakant Bawankule will hear citizens' concerns before proceeding with the inter-district process implementation. "We remain committed to modernising property registration, but not at the cost of security and accountability," an official said. "Citizens can expect a revised approach that balances convenience and protections." Another revenue official said the department is considering additional technological safeguards, including a transparent online property database searchable by multiple parameters and specialised mechanisms to efficiently address fraudulent registrations. Fadnavis had previously set the target for launching the scheme under the 100-day programme, with the revenue minister announcing its statewide rollout from May 1. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Six more months for roll-out of ‘One State, One Registration' in Maharashtra
PUNE : The ambitious "One State, One Registration" initiative, which would allow people to register properties at any of the 519 offices across Maharashtra , faces significant delays after it encountered technical hurdles and activists flagged security concerns, revenue department officials told TOI. Initially included in govt's 100-day programme, the scheme has been partially rolled out with intra-district registration launched on May 1. However, officials said after Tuesday's meeting at Mantralaya that the complex inter-district system would require additional time. "We are evaluating feedback from various stakeholders, and a complete roll-out is likely to take six more months," a senior revenue department official said. The scheme, designed to streamline property transactions, has sparked criticism from activists and property experts who warn it could enable land grabbing and create obstacles for people. Pune-based social activist Vijay Kumbhar, in a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and chief secretary Sujata Saunik, outlined several potential vulnerabilities, including risks of registration through collusion with officials, use of fake identities, and fraudulent documentation. "This system will provide more opportunities to land mafias while depriving common people of justice and rights," Kumbhar said, citing a case from Pune where fraudsters sold a plot belonging to Anupama Sanstha using forged power of attorney documents. Prashant Mehta, a Pune-based property consultant, said the intra-district flexibility has been welcomed, but extending it across districts without proper safeguards could create more problems. "Govt appears to be recognising these legitimate concerns." Revenue officials said revenue minister Chandrakant Bawankule will hear citizens' concerns before proceeding with the inter-district process implementation. "We remain committed to modernising property registration, but not at the cost of security and accountability," an official said. "Citizens can expect a revised approach that balances convenience and protections." Another revenue official said the department is considering additional technological safeguards, including a transparent online property database searchable by multiple parameters and specialised mechanisms to efficiently address fraudulent registrations. Fadnavis had previously set the target for launching the scheme under the 100-day programme, with the revenue minister announcing its statewide rollout from May 1.
