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Updated on: Monday, July 19, 2010

THE admission season in Delhi University is coming to an end. University officials and students would be having a sigh of relief after a gruelling two-month affair. Amid all the hysteria over cut-offs and lists there is one malaise that universities try to keep in check — impersonation and fake certificates. Recently, a number of reports have appeared in the media about students indulging in malpractices and they are not restricted to Delhi University (DU).

Jamia Millia Islamia, IIT-Delhi and AIIMS have in the recent past been embroiled in cases relating to either producing fake certificates or impersonation by students to gain an edge in the selection process. Says Simi Malhotra, media coordinator, Jamia Millia Islamia, "In the past two months we have handled a number of cases of impersonation. We had a suspicion that students who had appeared for the admission test were different from the ones who would eventually turn up for an interview. These were mostly in professional courses such as BTech, ETE (Elementary Teacher's Education) and BDS (Bachelor of Dental Sciences) where the stakes are high in terms of career choices. We have around 350 seats for BTech and receive on an average 38,000 forms, so it is quite an uphill task to ensure that no unscrupulous elements get through."

Jamia has introduced a practice of taking a photograph of every candidate who appears for the entrance test so that the photographs can be matched with those who finally come for the interviews. Malhotra says though this has larger cost implications, the measure has helped in apprehending many who have tried to bypass the system. Those who are found guilty of these activities are handed over to the police and from then on the law takes its own course. "Recently we have expelled two students of Jamia Millia who were trying to aid external students to gain admission using unlawful means," says Malhotra.

"We have also deployed identification officers who are present at all test centres to make sure that students appearing for the exam are the ones who have filled in the application forms," says Malhotra. According to her, the present steps have been taken under the new vice-chancellor, Najeeb Jung, who has total support from teachers.

In DU, though impersonation is not much of an issue, a few fake marksheets and certificates do find their way to the authorities. "Every year we confront cases where forged or fake marksheets are sent to us for admission. However, we have the marksheet CD from different boards, so checking the fakes against the original helps us in nabbing the culprits," says Gurpreet Tuteja, deputy dean of students' welfare, DU. According to Tuteja impersonation is not much of an issue in DU because the admission process doesn't involve an entrance test and all students are expected to be present with their original marksheets, without which they are not given admission. "Besides," continues Tuteja, "CATE and even the sports trials have all been centralised making the admission process more robust and ensuring that more checks and balances are in place to nip any mala fide activity in the bud."

Times of India

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