State Times: Jammu: Wednesday,
March 15, 2017.
Though Jammu
University has clarified that Jamia Urdu Aligarh University (UP) is neither
recognised by UGC nor by it, for not being a member of the Association of
Indian Universities yet Jammu and Kashmir Government has ordered that
Moalim-e-Urdu degree awarded by Jamia Urdu Aligarh will be equivalent to
Bachelor of Education degree awarded by the University of Jammu and University
of Kashmir.
The move is
seen as a brazen attempt to justify the promotions of 400 fake degree holders,
mostly from Rajouri-Poonch area, who were elevated from Teachers to Masters on
the basis of these degrees. Two FIRs have already been registered to probe the
controversial promotions in the Department of Education.
The
University of Jammu vide its letter No PIO/JU/14/10933 dated 30th March 2014
had clearly stated in a RTI application that “Jamia Urdu Aligarh University
(UP) is neither recognised by UGC nor University of Jammu. “This university is
also not the Member of Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi.”
On the basis
of this RTI, two FIRs were registered against several senior functionaries of
the Education Department including two IAS and three KAS officers for promoting
a large number of teachers on the basis of alleged fake B. Ed degrees.
The JU’s RTI
reply clearly stated “The University of Jammu recognizes the degrees of such of
the institutions recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Jamia
Urdu Aligarh is not recognized by UGC and hence not recognized by the
University of Jammu.”
However, the
government order issued by the Higher Education Department on March 8, 2017,
states ” in view of the similarities in curriculum, content and scheme, it is
hereby ordered that Moalim-e-Urdu degree awarded by Jamia Urdu Aligah is
equivalent to Bachelor of Education (B.ED) degree awarded by State Universities
of Jammu and Kashmir.”
As per list
issued by the Director School Education Jammu vide No. SEJ/NG/M/Prom./7255/681
dated 11th February 2014, 1193 teachers were promoted as Masters. Of these over
400 teachers were reportedly promoted on the basis of B.Ed degrees obtained
from Open Universities through distance-mode particularly from Jamia Urdu
Aligarh University (UP).
Many teachers
who were enrolled in B.Ed course for the session 2012-13 in Kashmir/Jammu
University were deliberately left.
The promotion
orders were issued on 11th February 2014 without waiting for the results of
Kashmir and Jammu Universities, which were declared on 22nd February 2014 and
15th March 2014 respectively.
The scam came
to fore when credentials of the Jamia Urdu Aligarh (UP) came under scanner
after the Rajouri Police conducted a raid during the examinations on 28th
December 2013. The police had seized the records.
Thirteen
candidates, all government teachers, appearing for examination, were nabbed
while others had managed to escape. During investigation, it was established
that the Centre was affiliated to Jamia Urdu Aligarh University of UP and the
government teachers of Poonch and Rajouri area were appearing in the paper.
Interestingly, the exam was to be conducted at 10:00 AM that day but the
organisers chose 10:00 PM for obvious reasons.
FIR 98/2013,
under Sections 409/120-B/420 and 2/3 RPC was registered against them at
Rajouri.
The records
revealed that some teachers were promoted as masters on B.Ed degrees from PRIST
University, Tamil Nadu, MDV Rohtak University, Maghad University, Kota Raja
University, Rajasthan, Ruhlekhand University, Gulburga University, Gujarat, HSS
Paryog University, Gurukul Mathra University, BSP University, UP and Jamia Urdu
Aligarh.
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