Devraj Thakur
Fraud represents a grave danger in any society where it takes hold, let alone when it pertains to academic credentials. The falsification of Master’s and PhD degrees is particularly destructive as, at this level, academics are supposed to represent the elite and are entrusted with leading society toward development, progress and growth in all walks of life.
We are confronted with a crime that destroys the present and the future, undermining all meanings of competency, diligence, merit and fair competition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed the importance of being prepared for this era by investing in education and introduced New Education Policy 2020.
Recently, dozens of cases of counterfeit or faked academic degrees, covering a wide range of specialisations, have been discovered in various parts of the country.Some of the faked degrees belonged to officials, teachers, masters, lecturers, Principals, directors and others in positions of authority. This confirms that we are facing a growing phenomenon, and it calls for a serious stand from the authorities concerned before it turns into a malicious disease that plagues academic standards.
It is a destructive practice that undermines development and renders any debate about science and its role in the renaissance of our country meaningless. Crucially, this phenomenon is neither new nor surprising, but it has been on the rise in recent years, in full view of numerous regulatory bodies concerned that have failed to stop or minimise it.
It is not possible, in such a small space, to cover all of the cases of forgery that have recently been detected in many departments, as they are numerous and ongoing. Further, the sensitivity of the issue makes it difficult to reveal all of the relevant figures and dimensions in some departments.
There are different types of academic fraud. Direct forgery of academic degrees sees counterfeit or unauthentic certificates obtained, which were not issued by the concerned educational institution. Another variant of the crime sees offenders obtain an authentic certificate, in terms of procedures and stamps, but the named degree holder exerts no effort and pays others to conduct the research. This is known as the ‘purchase of academic research’ and it happens, unfortunately, under the guise of apparent validity, as they appear from the outside to come from legitimate institutions.
If we want to look more thoroughly at the matter, we need to change the prevailing view on academic degrees in Jammu Kashmir. Certificates should not be a magic route to employment or social advancement. Experience and competency must be the main and first standard of progress and promotion.
The aim of achieving a promotion or a leadership position can cause weak people to fake qualifications, particularly Master’s and PhD certificates, and unfortunately, this is what usually happens. Because of this, we find employees and officials who hold critical positions, and are ‘experts’ in various fields, despite having no knowledge or experience at all. They have not exerted any effort in earning the certificates that allowed them to get their jobs, positions or professional titles.
A community where the phenomenon of fake academic degrees prevails is a community in danger. This article is a wake-up call, that we must face this abhorrent phenomenon. Hopefully, others will join me in the campaign against this epidemic, whether on social media platforms, newspapers, television, or other media channels. This threat is immense, for the present as well as the future.
(The author is State President All Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh Teachers Federation aft Akhil Bhartiya Rashtriya Shakshik Mahasangh – Jammu Kashmir)
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