SC flags large-scale fake certificate fraud in UP

NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over large-scale fraud of educational certificates in UP and getting jobs on that basis, SC on Monday said that stern action needed to be taken against them and asked a teacher from the state to bring evidence to prove that his certificate is equivalent to BEd to be eligible for the post.

The teacher, who has been serving for the last 32 years, moved the court through his lawyer Gaurav Dhingra after his job was terminated on the ground that he was not qualified for the post. His plea against termination was rejected by Allahabad HC.

Senior advocate M C Dhingra, appearing for the teacher, submitted that he was holding the degree of 'Shiksha Alankar' which was recognised as BEd at that time when he joined the service in 1991 and the qualification was derecognised in 1997 when he has already worked for seven years. He said that the decision could not be implemented retrospectively.

Hearing his plea, a bench of Justices Manoj Misra and N K Singh asked the petitioner to show that his degree of Shiksha Alankar was equivalent to BEd to save his job. "...I come from the same state and I know the ground situation.There is large-scale fraud in UP of fake certificate. Recently 8,000 certificates of Agra University were found to be fake. It is because of this such order (for termination of job) is being passed," Justice Misra said.

The petitioner pleaded the court to issue notice to state govt and seek response from it on whether degree of Shiksha Alankar was equivalent to BEd but the bench refused. It granted four weeks time to him to file an affidavit with the requisite document.