Amid Puja Khedkar Row, a Look at Rules Governing IAS Officers, Trainees

New Delhi: Probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar who is at the centre of a controversy over alleged misconduct, has been relieved from the District Training Programme of the Maharashtra government on Tuesday. Khedkar has been called to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, while her training has been halted.

The trainee IAS had secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 821 in the UPSC exam. She was found embroiled in a controversy after she used her private Audi car with a red-blue beacon light and VIP number plate. Soon after the controversy erupted, she came under fire for allegedly submitting fake disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to clear the competitive exam and multiple allegations of misconduct.

Amid the row, she was transferred from Pune to Washim by Maharashtra government last week. Meanwhile, the Central govt also formed a panel to examine all documents submitted by Khedkar to secure her candidature in civil services.

According to media reports Khedkar's actions as a civil servant are governed by two key rules - the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, and the Indian Administrative Service (Probation) Rules, 1954.

Let's take a closure look at some of the rules that govern the IAS officers and probationary officers:

‘Integration of services’

• From the time of commencement of training, All the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers are governed by the AIS (conduct) rules. Under this rule, all members of the service are expected to be maintain fidelity to duty and not do anything “unbecoming” during their service tenure. The rules prohibit them from using their office to secure the any private or govt job to their family members.
• In 2014, the Centre had made some additions to the rules, which bound any service member to maintain ethics, integrity, honesty, political neutrality, accountability, transparency, sensitivity to people, especially weaker sections, and good behaviour towards people — all of which Puja Khedkar has been questioned for. 
  Notably, as per the rules, the officers should make decisions only in the public interest.
• “An officer shall not place himself under financial or other obligation to any person or organisation who may influence him. Do not abuse your position as a civil servant, and do not make any decisions to gain financial or material benefits for yourself, your family, or your friends,” the rules added.
• In 2015, another rule was updated in the given rules which requires the government to be notified of any gifts, worth over Rs 25,000 given by close relatives or friends to the officers.

Rules for probationary officers

• The probationary IAS officers get a fixed pay and travel allowance during their training period. However, they are barred from exercising special powers enjoyed by IAS officers — such as using a VIP number plate on an official car, using official accommodation, an official room with adequate staff, and a constable.
• The trainee may be disqualified if found "ineligible" for recruitment or unfit to be a service member, if the trainee neglects studies and duties, and if the trainee practice misconducts. All this is decided by the Centre after conducting a summary enquiry. In Khedkar's case, the Centre has formed a single-member panel to examine all documents submitted by her.

Rules for submission of fake certificates

• Riddled in controversy, Khedkar has been accused of furnishing fake disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to clear the UPSC exam. As per reports,  she had also submitted a mental illness certificate.
• In April 2022, she was asked to report at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi for verification of her disability certificate, but she refused to do so, citing Covid infection, news agency PTI reported.
• Notably, 27 per cent of seats in the civil services are reserved for candidates belonging to OBC category, and three per cent of seats for general, OBC, ST, and SC categories are reserved for the differently abled.
• According to rules, if a candidate is found to provide fake certificates, the civil servant should not be retained. However, the members of service can challenge his/her dismissal in court before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and the National OBC Commission.