Ropar, May 13
After the PPSC’s jobs-for-sale racket shocked people, another recruitment scandal in which merit was ignored to favour undeserving ones has come to light. Investigations by The Tribune revealed a large number of cases in which candidates with fake degrees were recruited as Elementary Teachers Training (ETT) teachers in 2001 by the previous SAD-BJP government.

The then government recruited 7,230 teachers to ETT posts last year through the district-level Department Selection Committees. Of these 3,311 were the ETT qualified candidates and the rest had Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degrees.

A large number of selected candidates had acquired fake B.Ed degrees from universities outside the state. They were recruited by the officials concerned despite the UGC and the Punjab Government not having recognised the universities from which these degrees were obtained.

Dharampal (B.Ed), who was selected for the ETT post from Nawanshahr district, had acquired the B.Ed degree from the Bharatiya Shiksha Parishad, Uttar Pradesh. It is interesting that though the selection of many candidates having B.Ed degrees from the same institute was cancelled on the plea that the institute issued fake degrees, Dharam Pal was selected.

When candidates affected by the cancellation of selection and who had obtained B.Ed degree from the same institute approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Punjab Government, in its reply, quoted the circular of its Department of Personnel and Administrative Reform issued in 1996, that Bharatiya Shiksha Parishad, Uttar Pradesh, had been identified as an institute which awarded fake degrees. Hence they could not recruit candidates who acquired a degree from that institute. However, in the case of Dharam Pal even the stay ordered by the High Court was ignored and he was recruited.

Kamaljit Kaur, a candidate from Amritsar, was selected even though she did not fulfil the basic qualifications. According to the advertisement for the post, only B.Ed or ETT qualified candidates could have apply for the post. However, Kamaljit Kaur who did not have any of the said degrees was recruited. She had a diploma in physical education only.

Avtar Singh, a candidate from Jalandhar, was recruited on the basis of the B.Ed degree acquired from Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi. He was recruited without verification of his degree. In the verification done now, the degree was found to be fake but no action has been taken in the matter.

Satwant Singh, an ex-serviceman from Faridkot district, had 10+2 as basic qualification. He was recruited on the basis of the graduation certificate issued by the Army. Sources in the Education Department said the Punjab Government did not recognise the graduation certificate issued by the Army.

In addition, even the Army authorities while issuing the said certificate stated that it should be used in giving ‘C’ class recruitments where experience of technical or professional nature was not required. However, ignoring both these conditions Satwant Singh was recruited to the post of a teacher.

Two other candidates obtained degrees on the same date from Kota Open University. However, the signatures of the Vice-Chancellor on both degrees reveal a marked difference. Mamta Jain, who is working against a government-aided teacher’s post in Ahmedgarh acquired an M.Com degree from Himachal Pradesh University and a B.Ed degree from Magadh University, Bodh Gaya, in the same year.