UP Teachers Face Statewide Document Verification After Allahabad HC Flags Recruitment Fraud

Allahabad High Court has ordered a statewide verification of appointment letters and educational qualifications of teachers working in Uttar Pradesh’s government-run basic schools, which cater to Classes I to VIII, after allegations that some secured jobs using forged documents or another person’s educational records.

The order was passed by Justice Vinod Diwakar on October 16. Teachers will have to submit legible copies of their appointment letters and educational certificates to the concerned Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) within a week of receiving a notification from the BSA office, as Live Law reported.

The verification will cover qualifications from High School and Intermediate to graduation, B.Ed., B.T.C., D.El.Ed., B.El.Ed. and other relevant teaching qualifications, along with Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) records.

The court ordered the exercise after a case involving alleged use of forged educational documents raised concerns about the possible scale of fraudulent recruitment in the state’s basic education system.

Kusumlata Petition Triggers Verification Exercise

The matter arose from a writ petition filed by Kusumlata, who sought approval of her appointment as an assistant teacher by the District Basic Education Officer in Sant Kabir Nagar and the release of her salary.

She told the court that she had been appointed in Siddharth Nagar district on January 2, 2006, and promoted on July 12, 2010.

However, she was suspended on February 11, 2021, over allegations that she had secured the appointment using forged documents.

The state government’s counsel told the court that an inquiry had found that the petitioner had allegedly used educational documents belonging to another teacher, Kusumlata Srivastava, who is posted in Gorakhpur district.

On October 8, the court directed the petitioner to appear before the Additional Superintendent of Police, Special Task Force (STF), Lucknow, on October 12 and 13, with all relevant documents. The STF was asked to verify the validity and authenticity of the records within a week and submit a report.

According to the court proceedings, the petitioner did not appear on either date and did not submit her educational qualifications for verification.

Court Told Of Wider Recruitment Fraud

During the proceedings, the bench was informed that the alleged irregularities extended beyond the individual case, with a large number of teachers suspected of having secured appointments through forged documents.

The court was also told that, in several cases, 10 or more people had allegedly obtained jobs using a single set of educational records.

Justice Diwakar referred to an earlier order by a coordinate bench directing action against teachers found to have secured appointments through fraud. The earlier directions included cancellation of appointments, recovery of salaries wherever legally permissible, and disciplinary and criminal action against officials found to have colluded in or knowingly facilitated fraudulent appointments.

Taking note of these concerns, the court ordered a statewide verification exercise to establish the authenticity of teachers’ appointment and educational records.

What Teachers And Officials Must Do

Under the court’s directions, teachers must submit legible copies of their appointment letters and educational qualifications, including High School, Intermediate, graduation, relevant teacher-training certificates and TET/CTET records, within the prescribed period after notification.

They must also submit notarised affidavits disclosing specified immediate relatives, whether serving or retired, who have held positions at the level of Basic Shiksha Adhikari or above in the Uttar Pradesh Education Department. The categories specified by the court include spouses, parents, children, in-laws, siblings-in-law and first-degree cousins. Teachers who have no such relatives must submit an undertaking to that effect.

Basic Shiksha Adhikaris have been directed to instruct school headmasters to ensure compliance. Their offices must compile an Excel sheet containing each teacher’s name, appointment date, educational qualifications, minimum qualification requirements applicable at the time of appointment and merit score under the relevant Gazette notification.

The documents and compiled data must then be forwarded to the concerned STF Range Office for verification.

The Director of Education will supervise the exercise, while the Additional Director General of Police, STF, will oversee the verification and investigation. The court warned that any laxity or dereliction of duty by officials would be viewed seriously and that they could be held personally accountable.

Court Flags Concerns Over Quality Of Education

The court also linked the issue of fraudulent appointments to concerns about the quality of primary education in Uttar Pradesh.

Observing that the role of a teacher extends beyond subject knowledge, the bench stressed the importance of pedagogical skills, regular attendance, patience and fairness towards children.

The court noted that several schools had closed amid declining student enrolment and attributed the shortfall, in part, to concerns over the quality of education and teachers’ performance.

“That shortfall is not attributable to a want of resources, but to the deteriorating quality of the education imparted and to the inadequate performance of the teachers,” the court observed.

The matter is scheduled to be heard next on November 4.