Phulbani: Odisha School and Mass Education (SME) Department has suspended as many as 12 teachers in Kandhamal districts for allegedly using fake certificates during their recruitment process, a source said Tuesday.
After the fake certificate scam in Odisha’s Bolangir district came to fore, the department intensified the process of verifying certificates, marksheets, training certificates, caste certificates, and service records with the help of District Education Officers (DEOs) and other staff.
The department had sent request letters to the authorities of some state universities and other national universities including Andhra University, Kurukshetra University, and Jammu & Kashmir University for verification of B.Ed certificates and marksheets of teachers who graduated from those universities.
Following the investigation, 12 teachers from Kalahandi districts were found guilty of forging documents and were later suspended, the source informed.
It should be noted that in 2022 the Orissa High Court ordered the state government to fire teachers who used fake certificates in the recruitment process in Cuttack district.
Afterwards, the S&ME Department directed the DEOs and Departmental Promotion Committees (DPCs) to verify the information provided by the teachers and share any information regarding those whose grades, academic credentials, or service history were deemed suspicious so that appropriate action could be taken.
The S&ME Department also directed its officials to file FIR against the fraudsters.
PNN