Probe into BEd colleges for genuineness of degree underway: Nitish

Purnea: In the wake of the toppers' scandal in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said a probe is underway to ascertain if the degree awarded by BEd colleges in the state are genuine or not.

"All B.Ed colleges are being probed to ascertain if classes are held in these colleges or degrees are distributed illegally," he said at an event in Purnea district.

Asserting that his government will work to improve the education system gradually, Kumar said, "I took the intermediate exam scandal not as a subject of inquiry but as a subject of criminality and that's why I ordered the police to immediately investigate the irregularities."

After the Intermediate examination scandal came to the fore, following a media expose of the dubious toppers, the Chief Minister ordered registration of FIR into the matter.

The police crackdown resulted in resignation of Bihar School Examination Board Chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh and arrest of eight persons including the alleged kingpin of the toppers' scandal, Bachha Rai of Vishun Roy College in Vaishali, from where Arts and Science toppers Ruby Rai and Saurabh Shrestha belonged to.

At the event on prohibition organised by women self-help group "Jeevika", Kumar presented Rs one lakh cheque to each of the nine women, belonging to SC category, for starting cattle rearing after closure of their liquor trade and said the initiative by Purnea district administration "is a noble example for the entire state."