Jaipur, July 12: The Rajasthan government is set to investigate the hiring processes of 300,000 state employees recruited over the past five years following the discovery of a fake degrees racket. The probe will scrutinise degrees issued by Om Parkash Jogender Singh (OPJS) University in Churu, which is under investigation by the Rajasthan police's special operations group (SOG) for allegedly issuing fake and backdated degrees for unaccredited courses.

Since the university's inception in 2013, SOG is examining all 43,409 degrees issued. The probe was launched six days after the arrest of the university's founder-owner, Joginder Singh Dalal, for his alleged role in the scam. Dalal, along with former chairperson Sarita Karwasra and former registrar Jitendra Yadav, were arrested on July 5. Preliminary investigations suggest Dalal issued backdated degrees for visa applications and government jobs, particularly for courses like BEd, BPEd, and MSc agriculture, before the university received accreditation. Gujarat Cheating Case: Mehsana Homeopath Pays Rs 16.32 Lakh for MBBS Admission at Bundelkhand University in Uttar Pradesh, Gets Fake Degree; Four Booked.

SOG's inquiry into paper leaks and malpractices in college entrance and government exams led to Dalal. Complaints from students also prompted the probe. ADGP (SOG) VK Singh stated that the university issued degrees and certificates even before receiving relevant accreditation. DIG (SOG) Paris Deshmukh revealed the university awarded 708 PhDs, 8,861 engineering degrees, and 1,640 degrees in physical education, among others. Fake Jewellery Scam: Father-Son Duo Sell Artificial Jewellery Worth Rs 300 to US Woman for Rs 6 Crore in Jaipur, FIR Registered.

Investigations found irregularities in the 2022 physical training instructor (PTI) recruitment exam, where over 1,300 applicants claimed degrees from OPJS despite its limited accreditation. The university's inadequate staff, with fewer than 30 employees, raised further suspicions.

The Rajasthan higher education department has halted new admissions to all courses at OPJS and informed the education department to re-examine degrees of all candidates. The UGC had already barred OPJS from enrolling PhD scholars in December last year due to degree irregularities.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 12, 2024 06:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).