Certificate scam in Punjab admissions

It was a thick bunch of sports certificates boasting of golds, silvers and bronzes that did it. Sent for verification by Kurukshetra Univers...

It was a thick bunch of sports certificates boasting of golds, silvers and bronzes that did it. Sent for verification by Kurukshetra University (KUK) to the Sports Department, these papers blew the lid off the fake certificate racket operating in the state.

Department director M.S. Mann was stunned when he began sifting through the 81 sports certificates he’d received from the KUK and found only four genuine. Then he ordered his officials to scrutinise the certificates and gradations. ‘‘In 77 cases, the signatures of the federation officials concerned are fictitious, the format is different and the Haryana Sports Department has not issued any sports gradation certificates to them. In some, even the names of sportspersons who were supposedly issued these certificates are fake,’’ says Mann, who now wants the KUK to look up the suspects.

The papers tells a tale of lies and fabrication. For instance, a certificate ‘issued’ by Amateur Athletic Federation of India to Raj Singh of Haryana mentions: ‘‘… secured Ist place in 400Xm in 10th National Athletic Championship (Under-22) held at Chandigarh.’’ There is no such event.

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A certificate allegedly signed by IAAF president and issued to first position holder Anil Kumar of India (javelin 72.55 mt) was also found to be bogus. Mann said no sport gradation certificate was issued. ‘‘The signature on this certificate by Deputy Director, Sports and Youth Welfare, Deptt of Sports, is not genuine.’’

A host of sports achievements and gradation certificates awarded by Korfball Federation of India, Indian Men/Women’s Hockey Federation, Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India and Asian Amateur Kabaddi Federation were also found questionable.

Senior sportspersons blame the racket on the long-standing Federation practice of issuing blank certificates, which can be doctored by unscrupulous elements.

Mann has shot off a letter to Dr M.S. Chauhan, chairman, Department of Physical Education, KUK, saying that the photocopies of the 81 certificates submitted by Dr Parveen Kumar, KUK yoga instructor, were verified by a committee consisting of Depty Directors/DSYWO of Department, which found only four certificates genuine.

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Dr Chauhan, when contacted, said he was glad he had referred these certificates to the department. ‘‘I was deluged with these achievements, and thought it wise to get these verified.’’ He said he will refer the matter to Vice-Chancellor Dr A.K. Chawla.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the designation gives law enforcement “enhanced powers to combat a group that has instilled fear through violence and intimidation”.

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