NEW DELHI: Two weeks after the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) ordered the termination of seven Delhi government school teachers for allegedly using forged documents and sought a CBI inquiry into their appointments, two principals voluntarily resigned in the last three days.
The issue came to light when the Delhi High Court issued notices to as many as 19 school principals on October 18 over submitting fake documents. These principals have been given 20 days to prove their qualification documents. On October 18, the Delhi government issued an order approving the resignation of one principal of GSBV Khajoori Khas, Delhi - Surender Singh, with immediate effect.
Surender Singh still had 18 years of service left. A source in the Delhi Education Department said that Surender Singh’s B.Ed. degree was considered to be fake, and fearing punishment and a CBI inquiry, he resigned without giving any reasons to the administration. However, speaking to the newspaper, Surender Singh said, “I had some family issues due to which I had to submit my resignation.
I have no links with the recent notices being issued to the principals. I was not in OBC or EWS category but in the general category.” Another principal, Abhishek Arya, from Jasola Village in south-east Delhi, also resigned from the post. This came to notice when the Delhi Education Department forwarded the vigilance status reports of 10 principals and vice principals of Delhi government schools.
On September 30, a petition was filed in Delhi High Court alleging that at least 35 newly recruited principals in Delhi government schools had secured the job fraudulently. It also stated that most of them availed EWS reservation despite having an annual family income of over ` 8 lakh. “Due to the erroneous and wrong selection, a number of deserving candidates have been rejected, resulting in a violation of Article 16 of the Constitution.
These candidates are on a probationary period and withdraw more than Rs 1.75 lakh (monthly) in salary, and if they become permanent, the investigation procedure will become more complex,” the high court issued notices to 19 school principals over fake certificates. Following the petition, the L-G office did some fact-checking and discovered that some teachers had indeed submitted fake experience certificates.
The forged experience certificate was crucial in securing the job as each year of experience granted one extra mark to the candidate. Accordingly, the L-G allowed the Director of Vigilance to file a complaint with the CBI for the registration of a criminal case into the matter.
Notice to 19 school principals over forged papers The issue came to light when the Delhi High Court issued notices to as many as 19 school principals on October 18 over submitting fake documents. These principals have been given 20 days to prove their qualification documents. On October 18, the government issued an order approving the resignation of a principal of GSBV Khajoori Khas,
