The Allahabad High Court has ordered a state-wide verification of appointment letters and educational records of all teachers working in council-run primary and upper primary schools across Uttar Pradesh. Taking a stern view of allegations that individuals secured appointments using forged credentials or documents belonging to other candidates, Justice Vinod Diwakar directed all teachers instructing Classes 1 to 8 to submit their academic certificates and appointment orders to their respective Basic Shiksha Adhikari offices within one week of receiving formal notification. The bench cautioned that any negligence, procedural delay, or failure to enforce the directive would result in personal liability for the responsible education officials.
Strict Deadlines and Affidavit on Department Relatives
Under the court’s framework, teachers must supply clear copies of their high school, intermediate, graduation, and other relevant academic certificates alongside their original appointment orders. Alongside these academic papers, every teacher must submit a notarised affidavit declaring whether any close relative currently serves or has retired from the post of Basic Shiksha Adhikari or higher within the state’s basic education department. This measure has been introduced to ensure transparency and identify potential conflicts of interest during past recruitments. The court reiterated that the screening must not turn into a routine administrative formality, placing strict responsibility on district authorities to thoroughly review every submission.
STF Scrutiny and Claims of Multiple Appointments on Single Degrees
The Special Task Force will take an active role in examining the submitted records. Basic Shiksha Adhikaris across Uttar Pradesh have been instructed to compile exhaustive district-level registers containing teacher names and qualifications, which must be forwarded directly to regional STF offices. The directive comes after the court was informed of alarming recruitment patterns, including instances where a single educational certificate was allegedly used to secure jobs for 10 or more separate individuals. Preliminary submissions placed before the bench suggest that these suspected fraudulent practices may not be limited to recent recruitments, but could potentially span appointments conducted over the last two decades.
Inquiry Triggered by Gorakhpur Primary Teacher’s Petition
The comprehensive verification drive stems from proceedings in a petition filed by Kusumlata. Submissions from the office of the Additional Superintendent of Police at the STF’s Lucknow unit indicated that educational credentials belonging to Kusumlata Srivastava, an assistant teacher stationed at Barai Par Composite Primary School in Kaudipur, Gorakhpur district, were allegedly used by others to obtain departmental employment. The STF further submitted that the petitioner failed to appear for scheduled physical verification on October 12 and 13 and did not produce supporting academic records. Following these disclosures, the High Court expanded the scope of scrutiny, ordering administrative and investigative agencies to coordinate fully to identify forged records and establish institutional accountability.
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