UPSC: Investigation Launched into Fake Reservation Certificates, 15 Officers Under Scrutiny, Including IAS and IPS
New Delhi, May 29:
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the Government of India has launched a major investigation into the alleged misuse of reservation certificates in the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The probe targets candidates who appeared for the exams between 2015 and 2023.
Initially, 22 officers were accused of submitting fraudulent reservation certificates. Preliminary findings have now confirmed irregularities in the documents of 15 of them. Among these are 11 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, two Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, one Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, and one Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer.
The investigation was initiated following a detailed complaint filed by RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar on August 16, 2024. Kumbhar alleged that several candidates had submitted false documents to claim benefits under various reserved categories including Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Persons with Disabilities (PwD).
In a press release shared via social media platform X, Kumbhar stated that preliminary investigations led to formal cases being registered against 22 officials, and document discrepancies have been confirmed in 15 of them. The DoPT has directed state governments including Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Kerala to verify the credentials submitted by these officers. The Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance (Revenue Department), and Ministry of External Affairs are also involved in the verification process to examine caste, income, and domicile certificates.
Initial findings indicate that this is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a larger systemic issue, revealing significant abuse of the reservation system in civil services recruitment over the years.
Vijay Kumbhar has also urged the government to implement three key reforms:
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Establish a real-time verification system for reservation certificates by integrating the UPSC platform with state-level caste, income, and domicile databases.
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Mandate an audit of reservation claims before final appointments.
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Enforce strict penalties against both the issuers of fake certificates and candidates who submit fraudulent documents.
The investigation is ongoing, and further action is expected as verification processes continue.
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