Fake B.Ed degrees, identity thefts and other scams that UP is unearthing at its schools

• The Uttar Pradesh government is cracking down on school teachers who are using fake degrees to land jobs in the state’s government schools.
  
• As of now, the special task force has identified over 4,000 fake teachers — and they are expecting more.
  
• The UP government spends roughly ₹150 billion (₹15,000 crore) on primary education and faculty.
  
• As many as 60 government teachers — working on the basis of their fake B.Ed degrees — have been suspended so far.

The Uttar Pradesh government is unearthing scams that involve using fake degrees to land jobs in government schools.

Several cases of fake teachers have been reported in the state. And as of now, the special task force identified over 4,000 fake teachers — and they are expecting more. According to media reports, the UP government spends roughly ₹150 billion on primary education and faculty.

While investigating, the government found out cases of identity theft as well. In one case, three ‘people’ from different districts were ‘employed’ on the basis of same Aadhar card and PAN card. The scam came to the fore when the real owner of the IDs filed an ITR and found that multiple accounts are being operated with his credentials.

This comes in the backdrop of an ongoing debate on the state of education system in the state. A recent video of an English teacher struggling to read a textbook in Unnao district of UP had gone viral across social media platforms.

During the surprise inspection, the students fumbled while reading English textbooks. In fact, the BA pass teacher could not read a single sentence, after which Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) was asked to suspend her.

“She should be suspended immediately. She is an English teacher and she can’t even read English properly,” District Magistrate Devendra Kumar Pandey told News18.

This is however not the only case. As many as 60 government teachers — working on the basis of their fake B.Ed degrees and qualifications — have been suspended so far.

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