Fake PhD Certificate Scam Rocks Karnataka Government Colleges as Action Ordered Against 249 Guest Lecturers
The Higher Education Department has ordered criminal cases against 249 guest lecturers accused of using fake PhD certificates, with the largest number of suspected cases reported from Kalyana Karnataka region.
A major recruitment controversy has surfaced in Karnataka’s government degree colleges after authorities identified 249 guest lecturers who allegedly secured appointments using fake PhD certificates. The Higher Education Department has now directed college principals to initiate criminal proceedings and submit a compliance report within one week.
The order, issued by the Commissioner of the Department of Collegiate and Technical Education on July 21, also instructs institutions to immediately remove the accused guest lecturers from service. Officials have further recommended that those found responsible be blacklisted to prevent them from participating in future recruitment processes.
The alleged fraud came to light during the certificate verification process. While candidates were initially appointed after document scrutiny, their academic credentials were later sent to the respective universities for authentication. According to the verification reports received from the universities, the PhD certificates submitted by 249 candidates were found to be invalid or not genuine.
The highest concentration of suspected fake certificates has been reported from the Kalyana Karnataka region, which accounts for 148 of the total cases. Kalaburagi district alone recorded 33 cases, making it the district with the largest number of alleged fraudulent appointments.
Other districts with significant numbers include Yadgir with 31 cases, Bidar with 28, Raichur with 24, Koppal with 13, Vijayanagar with 9, and Ballari with 2. The figures have raised concerns about the recruitment process in several institutions across the region.
According to reports, Bidar Government First Grade College identified 19 guest lecturers with suspected fake PhD certificates. An autonomous government college on Sedam Road in Kalaburagi reported 17 such cases, while the Government Women’s First Grade College in Kalaburagi found 15 lecturers allegedly using invalid academic credentials.
The department has also ordered a fresh review of eight candidates whose certificates were marked as genuine by principals of certain colleges in Kalaburagi, Koppal, Vijayanagar, and Bidar districts. Officials want these documents reverified before any final decision is taken.
The latest development marks one of the largest alleged academic credential fraud cases involving guest lecturer appointments in Karnataka’s government degree colleges. The department is expected to closely monitor the legal action and verification process as institutions begin implementing the directions issued by the commissioner.
