In the latest development, Rajasthan's Om Prakash Jogender Singh (OPJS) University has come under scanner for allegedly issuing over a shocking 40,000 fake and backdated degrees, and that too, for non-accreditated courses. As per reports, the case is currently being investigated by Rajasthan police's Special Operation Group (SOG).
The alleged irregularity came into focus on April 8 following the submission of the degrees for the 2022 Physical Training Instructor exam by 1,300 applicants. Reportedly, the university received accreditation for course in 2016 for just 100 seats.
As per rules, only students enrolled before 2020 were eligible for the PTI 2022 exam, which means ideally only 400 people could apply for the examination.
This development drew attention following the arrest of the university's founder-owner, Joginder Singh Dalal, for his alleged role in the scam. It has been reported that an inquiry into several suspected irregularities and malpractices in college entrance and government exams led to the arrest of Dalal.
A preliminary investigation suggests that the university founder issued backdated degrees to those requiring graduation certificates for visa applications. According DIG (SOG) Paris Deshmukh, since 2013, the university has awarded 708 PhDs, 8,861 engineering degrees and 1,640 degrees in physical education.
On June 24, Rajasthan higher education department issued an order to halt new admissions to all courses at the university.
Previously, the University Grants Commission (UGC) barred the university from enrolling scholars in all PhD programmes in December last year.
