After backlash, Telangana cadre IAS officer Praful Desai clears air about his disability

Amid the controversy surrounding trainee IAS officer Pooja Khedkar's disability certificate, the focus is now on Telangana cadre IAS officer Praful Desai. Reason: He produced a disability certificate to avail of reservation in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) civil service examination but his social media shows him engaging in several physical pursuits. 

Desai, who is the Karimnagar Additional Collector, is categorised as from an Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Orthopedically Handicapped (OH). He reportedly claimed that he had a locomotor disability and 45 per cent disability in the left leg due to polio because of which he cannot run but can walk and cycle.

However, he is seen riding horses, rafting and cycling for over 30 km.  

A user took to Twitter to repost his pictures, asking him why he suddenly made his account private. "People on Twitter are sharing photos of you cycling, playing tennis, rafting, and horse riding, claiming you've fully recovered after rigorous training at LBSNAA. Now that these photos are public, you've suddenly made your account private. What are you afraid of? Please address the doubts of aspirants to uphold the transparency of the UPSC. Many hardworking students keep their dreams alive through dedication and hard work. Please give them an answer sir!"

To this, Desai replied that he applied to the UPSC with a benchmark disability certificate issued by a competent authority. He added that he appeared before the AIIMS medical team which certified that he was disabled. 

On the pictures of him cycling and rafting, Desai said those were part of the training programme and team-building activities. "Being a physically challenged person and pushing my physical limits and trying to live a normal life like others is wrong? My request to all those netizens who are sharing fake information is be empathetic and sensitive towards genuine people and their family before directly jumping to conclusions without thorough information and even now I’m ready to face any medical board examination," he added. 

On making his account private, Desai said his family was apprehensive as he received personal messages and harsh comments. "There are pictures with my wife on my social media platforms and people use them for a different perspective. I had no other option but to make my social media accounts private," he said in a statement.