State to ask colleges to verify marksheets at the time of admission | Mumbai news
Mar 25, 2025 06:08 AM IST
The decision follows the unearthing of a fake marksheet racket at KJ Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce in the city three months ago. Investigations revealed that 51 students had used forged marksheets and leaving certificates to secure admission in three junior colleges
Mumbai: In a bid to curb the menace of fake marksheets, the Maharashtra government will issue directives to all colleges to verify student credentials before granting admissions. Additionally, the verification process will be conducted at the school education department level to prevent fraudulent entries. The announcement was made on Monday by Minister of State for School Education, Pankaj Bhoyar.
The decision follows the unearthing of a fake marksheet racket at KJ Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce in the city three months ago. Investigations revealed that 51 students had used forged marksheets and leaving certificates to secure admission in three junior colleges. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered on December 16 based on a complaint filed by the college principal, Dr Kishan Pawar.
Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Sunil Prabhu raised the issue in the state assembly, prompting a response from Bhoyar. “The state government will direct all colleges to verify marksheets during admissions. Similarly, the deputy director of the school education department will ensure verification at the government level to prevent future malpractice,” Bhoyar stated.
To further strengthen the verification process, the government is considering a proposal to mandate all education boards to upload student marksheets on their respective websites. This suggestion was put forth by BJP legislator Yogesh Sagar, who argued that such a measure would eliminate the possibility of fraudulent practices. “It is an important suggestion, and we will consider it positively,” Bhoyar assured.
Meanwhile, police have arrested ten individuals in connection with the racket, including two college clerks. “The clerks were offering students admission under the management quota and fraudulently generating fabricated marksheets with inflated scores. The scam came to light when the college management detected irregularities and lodged an FIR,” Bhoyar informed the assembly.
