Self-attested documents valid in universities, colleges in Himachal: Education regulator

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 4

Educational institutions and the affiliating universities will consider self-attested documents as valid and authentic for all purposes and administrative needs and return original documents to students after physical verification. Taking original certificates of students in custody under any circumstances is strictly prohibited and in case of suspicion over a certificate, it should be crosschecked with the issuer university or board, said Major Gen Atul Kaushik (retd), Chairman of HPPIERC, in his order today.

He asked the SPs of all districts to lodge FIRs against university or college managements and registrars who are found blackmailing and harassing students by not returning original documents to them. No private university or college in the state would insist on the submission of original academic and personal certificates, including mark sheets, school leaving certificate and other documents, at the time of admission, he added.

The ruling of the education regulator came in a case pertaining to Sunil Kumar, a student of a three-year BBA course of Indus International University. The university had withheld his original documents for more than a year. Sunil’s parents had requested the university authorities several times to return the documents but there was no response. They then approached the commission.

The HPPIERC had directed the university to submit original documents/certificates, including certificate of caste, income, Himachal bonafide, Class X and XII mark sheets, Aadhaar card and PNB passbook, which would now be given to Sunil Kumar.