In Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s hit film, ‘12th Fail’, there are several moments that tug at your heart. When the main character fails his class 12 exam because he refuses to cheat like his classmates, when his repeated attempts to pass the tough civil service exam end up in disappointment, it feels like we are all crying with him.
The film is based on the extraordinary true story of IPS officer Manoj Sharma who failed his class 12 exams but ended up clearing the civil service exam or the UPSC (Union Public Services Commission) considered among the toughest in the world.
This is the exam that leads to the top services in India like the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS), the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and other crucial services like revenue.
The movie documents the struggles of the many thousands of aspirants to the UPSC and how their hopes and dreams are centred around acing this exam. For most, those dreams are shattered because only a few actually make the final cut. The entire process from the exams to the interview is rigorous and demanding. Only the best of the best succeed.
A can of worms
Which is why the story of IAS trainee Puja Khedkar is so infuriating. Puja Khedkar is facing a police case and a probe for allegedly faking her identity, faking a disability and even faking her address in order to secure a place in the IAS. Her case only came to light after she was transferred from one district to another because of her conduct.
She is accused of using a beacon light on her private car and making demands that a trainee is not entitled to, like a separate office, car and staff. What is shocking is not just that Khedkar was arrogant enough to think she could get away with it, but how she gamed the entire UPSC system, which we thought had the highest standards in the world.
Since the Khedkar story broke, it has opened a can of worms. Videos have surfaced online of another IAS officer turned actor dancing and working out in the gym after claiming he had a locomotor disability to get a concession in the final selection.
For the millions of aspirants to the UPSC, these cases have come as a rude awakening and questions the sanctity of the entire UPSC selection process. How on earth can the UPSC not have a stringent verification process? How many more Puja Khedkars are out there? Shekhar Dutt, a UPSC mentor who provides free course materials to aspirants, told media that these cases have “led to a loss of faith in the UPSC, which is a constitutional body”.
There are now reports that over the last few years more and more candidates are resorting to fraud to secure their place in the UPSC. It isn’t difficult to get a disability certificate especially from government hospitals in smaller cities, as long as you pay a certain fee.
Quotas for differently abled
The UPSC has reservations or quotas for the differently abled, and economically weaker sections or EWS. The EWS quota was started in 2019 and the media has documented how this has been abused due to lack of checks on the ground. Similarly, the disability quota has been gamed by many aspirants who obtain fake certificates to boost their rank.
Last week, the head of the UPSC, Manoj Soni, resigned abruptly citing “personal reasons”, five years before the end of his tenure. The opposition Congress party says he was nudged out due to the Khedkar controversy.
Even if that is the case, it won’t be enough. There needs to be a complete overhaul in the UPSC selection system and it needs to happen urgently. Jobs in the civil services are the most coveted for millions of young Indians.
They spend the best years of their lives toiling and studying, for a shot at the best services. Now, the reputation of India’s ‘steel frame’ is at stake. The UPSC needs to regain its credibility, fast.
