Fake Degree Scam: Provisional degrees to be given to genuine Manav Bharti University students in Solan

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 21

In a relief for genuine students of Manav Bharti University (MBU), Solan, which is currently in the dock over a fake degree scam, the university administrator has written a letter to the police requesting that the students’ record be handed over for the verification of degrees.

The letter was addressed to the DGP after the court on December 17 permitted the release of documents (record) seized by the Special Investigating Team (SIT) dealing with the case, said Chairman, Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission (HPPEIRC), Maj Gen Atul Kaushik (Retd).

He said copies of hard disks would be given to the university and data would be matched with the record of genuine students for verification.

Sources said the university authorities had maintained separate files for genuine and fake students. Provisional degrees would be given to the genuine students after the verification of documents. There are about 50,000 students whose documents would be checked for authenticity. The move would assist genuine students in pursuing further studies or getting employed, he told The Tribune.

Genuine pass-outs of Manav Bharti University under the banner of “Justice for Manav Bharti Students’ Association, had many times urged the government and the education regulator to safeguard their interests. They had said their certificates and degrees were not being verified and authenticated due to the ongoing probe into the fake degree case.

They rued that whenever a candidate applies for a job or for higher education, his educational background and documents are verified by the employer or the institution, but the pass-outs of Manav Bharti University are facing problems as their verification is being denied by the university.

During investigations, the SIT had detected 36,000 fake degrees from hard disks and the number is expected to increase. Preliminary investigations had pointed out that each degree was sold for Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh. The SIT had also detected properties worth Rs 440 crore, out of which properties valuing Rs 194.74 crore were linked with proceeds of crime and attached.