Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena ordered the termination of the seven Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) and Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) teachers appointed at the Delhi Tamil Education Association in 2022 allegedly on forged documents.

The Lt Governor also approved a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into their appointments following the recommendations of the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV). The DoV found that these appointments were made in collusion with the officials of the Directorate of Education and the school management.

Saxena has also asked for a scrutiny of records of recruitment at Government-aided schools over the last 10 years and constituted a committee to study the appointment process in these schools, the statement said.

 The action by the LG came over recommendation of the Delhi government’s Directorate of Vigilance that found an alleged “collusion” between the Education Department and the school management in the said appointments, it said.

No immediate reaction was available from the Education Department and the school management concerned.

While terminating the seven TGT and PGT teachers, the LG approved recommendation of the vigilance department for a CBI probe into their appointment at the Delhi Government-aided school allegedly through use of forged documents, it said.

 “The LG agreed with the proposal of the DoV, which found a prima facie collusion between the officials of Directorate of Education and the Delhi Tamil Education Association (DTEA), where 51 candidates were appointed on various posts in the year 2022.

 “However, it was found that 7 selected teachers for TGT and PGT posts had submitted fake experience certificates,” read the statement.

 The forged experience certificate was crucial in securing the job as each year of experience gave one extra mark to the candidate, it stated.

As per the terms and conditions of Education Department, the school management was required to verify all the certificates of the selected candidates.

 “While the certificates needed to be verified by seeking and obtaining appointment letters, details of payments made along with bank details, copy of attendance register of the school showing their attendance, none of these criteria was fulfilled by the school management,” it alleged.

 The matter was placed before the Delhi chief secretary who directed to carry out the physical verification of the experience certificates issued by the respective schools.

The experience certificates submitted by three candidates were found to be “fake”. However, experience certificates of the remaining four candidates were verified by the respective schools, but not supported by documentary evidence, it said.

The CBI is already investigating a similar criminal case involving another government-aided school, Vedic Sanskrit Senior Secondary School, Khera Garhi, in the capital where appointments were made on the basis of alleged “fake” documents, it said.

The committee formed by the LG to study the recruitment process in government-aided schools and suggest measures to streamline the process, headed by additional chief secretary (general administration department) will have special secretary (Finance) and secretary (education) as members while director (education) will be its convener, added the statement.