JNTU-H cracks down on fake doctorates

​Hyderabad: The Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad (JNTU-H) has launched a major crackdown on fake doctoral degree holders working as faculty members in private engineering colleges affiliated to it. According to sources, the university officials were shocked to find a woman faculty member working in a prominent private engineering college in the city submitting a fake doctoral degree in computer sciences from Andhra University (AU) in Visakhapatnam. 

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior official from the AU said that the JNTU-H had referred the doctoral degree for verification to the university. The AU officials found the degree a fake one and communicated the same to the JNTU-H officials, he added.

The AU introduced several security features in the degree certificates since 2017. They include a security code and other features to enable officials to identify fake degrees.  It was against this backdrop that the JNTU-H referred the certificate in question to the AU for verification. The certificate in question was found in the old format and the signature of the Vice- Chancellor Prof G Nageswar Rao was found to be forged. The AU had also lodged a complaint with the police regarding the fake certificate, the official said.

Following the serious nature of these developments and growing allegations of fake doctoral degree holders working as faculty members, Governor and Chancellor of the State Universities E S L Narasimhan had sought a report from the Department of Higher Education. 

Confirming this, Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) Chairman Prof T Papi Reddy said following the Chancellor’s directive the JNTU-H was asked to submit a report. Accordingly, the JNTU-H officials summoned 100 faculty members from private colleges to attend in person before the senior officials of the Academic Audit and Evaluation Cell of the university along with their original certificates for verification. Sources in the university said a report would be finalised in a couple of days and the same would be submitted.