J&K government teachers under scanner for submitting `fake degrees’

Srinagar: Hundreds of government teachers are under scanner for securing jobs by submitting ‘fraudulent degrees’, official sources said.

 Sources said the administration has launched an inquiry to reverify the degrees of `suspected’ teachers serving in the education department for years.

 “These degrees have been achieved through distance mode from various private universities, which are not valid. There are hundreds of such teachers whose degree certificates are currently being verified by the education department,” sources added.

 Insiders said in the Environmental Sciences stream alone, around 50 teachers are currently being probed for fake degrees.

“There are many teachers whose degrees are dubious. These teachers have got their degrees by paying to lesser-known universities without even attending the classes. The administration is currently on job to verify the certificates. As soon as the report will be submitted, action will be taken,” sources said.

Sources said teachers have been working in many capacities for many years. “These teachers are working in many schools at the secondary and higher secondary level. They have been getting benefits at par with the teachers who have been appointed after qualifying examinations and various tests,” sources said.

 They said the administration has launched a drive to clean up the education department and identify the teachers who have secured jobs through dubious means.

 “It has been ordered by the government to uproot corruption and improve the functioning of the government departments. Several measures are being taken up to improve the function of the education department before National Education Policy is formally implemented, ” officials said.

 Pertinently, the government this year took action against many teachers, for not adhering to rules and norms.

Director School Education Kashmir recently issued a charge sheet against Joint Director SCERT Kashmir for indulging in corrupt practices in transfers and extorting money from teachers for deleting their names from the dismissal list during his tenure as CEO Anantnag.