Directorate of Higher Education, Assam issued show-cause notices to college teachers

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A number of college teachers who got their jobs with fake PhD degrees in the State have been feeling the heat now with the Directorate of Higher Education issuing them show-case notices. They have been asked to reply to the notices within ten days.

The State has a list of 137 college teachers whose PhD degrees are fake or misleading. There are private universities without recognition and fake universities that offer PhD degrees without the candidates having to submit any research works (papers). Such universities offer doctorate degrees to candidates within a year by charging high amount of money.

The issue of college teachers getting jobs with fake PhD degrees was raised in the State Assembly in 2018 when the Education Minister admitted the fact. The Minister informed the House at that time that a high-level committee had been formed to verify the genuineness of the PhD documents of college teachers of the State. According to sources, the high-level committee submitted a list of 137 college teachers with fake or misleading PhD degrees to the Directorate of Higher Education.

According to sources in the Department of Education, the Directorate of Higher Education issued show-cause notices to all the 137 listed college teachers of the State on June 26 and asked them to send their replies within ten days.

The letter (show-cause notice) clearly spells it out that – "You have acquired jobs with misleading/fake documents." The letter says that such teachers with fake PhD degrees draw their salaries depriving genuine and meritorious candidates. "Why disciplinary action should not be taken against you as per Assam Services (Disciplinary and Appeal) Rules, 1964?"

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