Four Sanskrit teachers sacked following disability certificates discovered to be forged

The Rajasthan Department of Sanskrit Education has sacked the services of four veteran Sanskrit teachers following disability certificates presented during their recruitment being discovered as forged.

As per the department's order dated Tuesday, the teachers had been appointed under the disabled category via the Senior Teacher (Sanskrit Education) Competitive Examination-2022. Their appointments were confirmed by departmental orders dated December 9 and December 18, 2024.

The case was brought to light after the certificates produced by the teachers were referred for scrutiny. The medical officer of the SMS Hospital who performed the scrutiny attested that the documents were fake.

The four dismissed teachers include Vishnu Kumar, son of Birendra Singh; Surendra Singh, son of Satyavir Singh; Lokesh Rathore, son of Chaturbhuj Rathore; and Sanjeev Kumar, son of Roop Singh.

A senior department spokesperson stated, "All four were recruited on the disabled quota, but upon verification, their disability certificates turned out to be invalid. They have been declared ineligible and relieved from government service with immediate effect."

Crackdown on fake certificates

The case has again brought into focus the abuse of reservation benefits with fake documents. Officials have stated that stringent verification procedures will now be implemented for all appointments in the future to avoid such malpractices. The department has also stated that more steps, including legal action, might be taken against the sacked teachers.

Broader implications for recruitment

Recruitment fraud in the form of duplicate caste, disability, and income certificates has been a perpetual problem in public service examinations in various states. Experts observe that this practice not only dilutes the reservation policy but also denies opportunities to genuinely deserving candidates.

With the Sanskrit Education Department taking a hard line against the malpractice, the action is being viewed as a stern warning to discourage candidates from trying to get government jobs by hook or by crook. 

The department is likely to send the case for further investigation and legal scrutiny to ascertain responsibility and tighten compliance in future recruitment drives.