New Delhi, Oct 2 – The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will soon begin verifying candidates’ documents through DigiLocker, the government’s cloud-based platform for storing and authenticating official papers. The move follows rising concerns over cheating and the misuse of fake certificates in the Civil Services Examination.
Addressing aspirants during a virtual town hall broadcast by Doordarshan on Wednesday, UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar said the initiative is aimed at ensuring the genuineness of caste, income and disability certificates submitted by candidates. “We have zero tolerance towards cheating,” he said, noting that those found guilty face suspension for a minimum of three years, while cases involving criminal intent invite legal action as well.
The matter drew attention in the backdrop of the case involving former IAS trainee Puja Khedkar, who has been accused of misusing OBC and disability certificates to qualify for the examination. She also allegedly attempted to circumvent the nine-attempt limit by altering her own and her parents’ names. In 2024, the UPSC cancelled her candidature for the 2022 examination and debarred her from future attempts. The Department of Personnel and Training subsequently discharged her from service. Khedkar has denied the allegations and is contesting the decision in court.
Kumar underlined that the strictest action will be taken in all such cases and emphasised that the adoption of DigiLocker for document submission would ensure greater transparency and eliminate doubts over authenticity. The announcement coincided with the launch of the Commission’s centenary celebrations.
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Haseena Ayoob is a regular contributor of The Chenab Times.
