Guwahati: As many as 70 persons working as tutors, principals, teachers and librarians at different educational institutes have been summoned by Assam higher education directorate for allegedly holding fake Ph.D. degrees.
Assam higher education directorate has asked them to appear before a panel on Tuesday (July 19) to check their credentials.
A screening committee headed by noted academician and former vice-chancellor of Dibrugarh University, Prof Alak Kumar Buragohain will check the credentials of the 70 individuals.
Director of higher education, Dharmakanta Mili, said the individuals who have been asked to appear before the committee, have been working in various newly provincialized or government-aided colleges under fixed pay, TOI reported.
District-level committees formed by the state government have recommended the upgrade of their services in regular posts.
“Most of those whom we have called for document verification are working as tutors. They have masters degrees but if their PhDs are found to be genuine, those teachers, working on fixed pay, will clear the hurdles to get the posts of assistant professors,” TOI quoted Mili as saying.
He said there is going to be a remarkable hike in the salaries, if they get promoted as assistant professors, which will pave the way to become associate professors and professors later.
“These days there are lots of allegations of fake PhDs. We have asked them to appear before the screening committee so that no one can get a regular job by hoodwinking the government. If we find anyone with fake PhDs, the government will take a decision on what action should be taken,” he added.
Sources in the education department said many of the candidates got PhDs from private universities and public-funded universities outside the state.