Mumbai: In a bid to check bogus degree
certificates, Maharashtra government has decided to provide
smart cards to students to get their degree certificates.
"All universities in the state would be directed under
University`s Act 8 (4) about the smart cards to check bogus
certificates and degrees by the students," Higher and
Technical Education Minister Rajesh Tope told the Legislative
Council.
Government would also make available online facility for
employers to verify the certificates on the websites of
universities, Tope said.
"The employers can verify validity of the certificates
from the University websites by paying for the service with
the help of credit cards or demat account," the minister said.
Government has also drafted a Prevention of Unauthorised
Institutions Act to restrict functioning of such
organisations, he said.
Tope said government or the Universities have no facility
of verifying certificates. But if a demand is made by the
employers, the universities will check the validity.
Altogether 1,134 cases of bogus certificates were
found last year in seven universities, he said.
"Altogether 729 bogus certificates and degrees were
found in Pune university, 237 in Mumbai, 76 in Nagpur, 42 in
Shivaji university, Kolhapur, 18 in Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar
Marathwada University, Aurangabad 15 in Swami Ramanand Tirth
University Nanded and 11 from Sant Gadge Maharaj university,"
Tope said.
PTI
