Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday accused the BJP-RSS of systematically taking over India’s constitutional bodies, damaging their reputation, integrity, and autonomy.
Kharge expressed concern over the multiple scandals regarding the UPSC and called for the Prime Minister and the minister of personnel, public grievances, and pensions to provide clarity on the matter.
He highlighted cases of unqualified individuals faking caste and medical certificates, which he believes have duped the supposedly ‘foolproof’ system. Kharge further added that this situation is a direct affront to the genuine aspirations of lakhs of aspirants, including those from SC, ST, OBC, and EWS categories, who work diligently in preparing for the Civil Services Examinations.
He questioned the premature resignation of the UPSC Chairperson, five years before his term’s end, and the secrecy surrounding it for a month and raised concerns about a possible connection between the numerous scandals and the resignation, noting that the chairperson was brought in from Gujarat and promoted by Prime Minister Modi.
“Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ji had referred to the civil servants as the ‘Steel Frame of India’, but the Modi government‘s desperate attempt to control every aspect of governance has punched holes in the same! This needs to be thoroughly investigated at the highest level so that such cases of fraudulent malpractice in UPSC admissions don’t happen in the future,” he said.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi also questioned the exam’s integrity, highlighting the importance of the UPSC as the most reputed exam in the country and the role of its candidates as crucial pillars of the governance system. Priyanka called for answers to questions regarding the responsibility of politically appointed individuals in top UPSC posts, the adequacy of superficial investigations, the need for a solid institutional system for checking certificates, and the necessity for changes to make the UPSC system more transparent and authentic.
“The trust of crores of people of the country and the functioning of our day-to-day governance and administration is linked to the professional system of this institution. I have personally seen how hard the youth work for this exam, with lots of dreams in their eyes and passion in their hearts. The reports of irregularities in the UPSC processes are very shocking. Even a single irregularity in this important selection process raises big questions and hurts the dreams and faith of millions of youth”, Priyanka said in a post on X.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that all constitutional bodies have been undermined since the BJP came to power in 2014.
“The sanctity, character, autonomy, and professionalism of all constitutional bodies have been badly damaged since 2014. But at times, even the self-anointed, non-biological PM is forced to say that enough is enough. Mr Modi brought in one of his favourite ‘academics’ from Gujarat as a UPSC member in 2017 and made him Chairman in 2023 with a six-year term. But this so-called distinguished gentleman has now resigned five years before the expiry of his term,” Jairam Ramesh wrote in a post on X.
The controversy surrounding the UPSC exams intensified when allegations against Puja Khedekar, 34, came to light. She found herself at the center of a media firestorm following accusations of using fake disability and category certificates, demanding special privileges and misusing a beacon on her personal vehicle.
The government decided to suspend her ‘district training program’ and recalled her to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie for “necessary action.”