Jamshedpur Private School Admission: 218 fake applications detected under reserved category

Jamshedpur: The verification process for documents submitted under the reserved category for admissions in private schools in Jamshedpur has been completed. The District Education Department has uncovered a major case of fraud, with 218 applications found to be fake. Parents, in their attempts to secure admission for their children, submitted forged documents, including manipulated birth and income certificates. The number of quota seats, which is 25 per cent of total seats, in private schools of the city is 1504.

The admission process for poor and disadvantaged category students is set to move forward, with application files being sent to schools starting April 15 and the process expected to be completed by April 20. However, authorities are now dealing with the fallout from fraudulent applications, which have raised concerns about the misuse of the reservation system.

Widespread Forgery in Admission Process

A total of 1,504 seats have been reserved for students from economically weaker sections in private schools across the district this year. However, the number of applications received was more than double, with 3,039 children applying for admission. Upon scrutiny, 218 applicants were found to have submitted fake documents, leading to the cancellation of their applications.

The District Education Department conducted an extensive verification process, cross-checking documents submitted by parents with multiple government departments. The investigation revealed numerous cases where parents had altered their income certificates and birth certificates to qualify for the reserved seats.

Fake Birth and Income Certificates Detected

One of the most shocking revelations was the manipulation of birth certificates. Several parents submitted applications under the BPL (Below Poverty Line) quota this year despite having applied for the same category in previous years. However, their children’s birth certificates displayed different dates of birth from the previous applications.

Additionally, officials uncovered cases where parents had used Photoshop to tamper with income certificates. Some families, whose actual annual income was recorded as ₹75,000 in official documents, had altered the amount to ₹72,000 to meet eligibility criteria. In other instances, parents replaced the name on someone else’s ₹72,000 income certificate with their own. Around 150 fake income certificates were detected, along with 70 birth certificates that had been tampered with.

Strict Action Against Fraudulent Applicants

A list of all fraudulent applicants has been prepared, and further action will be determined at the Deputy Commissioner’s level. The government has already issued strict instructions to take legal action against those who forge documents. Authorities are now considering penalties for parents who attempted fraud in securing school admissions.

Lottery System for Fair Selection

Given that the number of applications is almost twice the number of available seats, the District Education Department has decided to conduct a lottery to ensure fairness in the admission process. This lottery will be held by April 15, and the selected applications will be forwarded to the respective schools. Schools are expected to complete the admission process for eligible students by April 20.

Authorities have urged parents to follow proper procedures and avoid fraudulent means to secure admissions. The District Education Department has also reassured that genuine applicants will receive fair opportunities through the transparent lottery system.