Indian High Court Orders Investigation into Fake University Degree Certificates

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court issued directives requiring the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to complete investigations into fraudulent degree certificates issued by Madurai Kamaraj University and other universities, and to initiate criminal prosecution against involved candidates and officials without delay. The court found that universities had deliberately obstructed the investigation by failing to provide required documents, and directed them to cooperate fully and cancel the fraudulent degrees. The court noted that the investigation had not been conducted properly until its intervention, and warned that if such fraud continued openly, public faith in the educational system would collapse. The court also directed the DVAC to investigate how university study centres were functioning and whether they facilitated fraudulent activities. While the investigation remains ongoing and the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission has already cancelled provisional selections of candidates who used fake degrees, the court declined to impose immediate punishment on officials involved.