Three assistant professors serving at DAV colleges in Chandigarh and Punjab have been terminated after Panjab University withdrew approval for appointments made on the basis of PhD degrees obtained from CMJ University.

The affected faculty members include an assistant professor of Computer Science at DAV College, Sector 10, Chandigarh, an assistant professor of Commerce at DAV College, Jalalabad, and an assistant professor of Computer Science at DAV College for Women, Ferozepur.

The action follows a communication issued by Panjab University in June directing its affiliated colleges to take appropriate action after deciding to withdraw approval for appointments where eligibility was based on PhD degrees awarded by CMJ University.

According to the office order issued by DAV College, Sector 10, the faculty member's services were terminated with immediate effect due to the non-possession of the essential qualifications prescribed for the post, following the university's decision and judicial rulings concerning the validity of CMJ University PhD degrees.

The controversy dates back to 2013, when complaints were raised regarding the authenticity of qualifications used by certain faculty members for recruitment. The matter subsequently led to verification proceedings in Meghalaya, an internal inquiry by Panjab University and legal scrutiny before the university initiated action against affected appointments.

RTI activist Rajinder Kumar Singla, who pursued the issue through complaints and applications under the Right to Information Act, said Panjab University had constituted a three-member committee to verify the authenticity of the degrees.

According to Singla, the committee's report was accepted by the university's Syndicate on December 8, 2018, and recommended both civil and criminal action after obtaining legal opinion. He said the recent terminations were a significant development but added that accountability should extend to all those responsible for the appointments.

Earlier, university officials indicated that nearly 17 teachers across Panjab University-affiliated colleges had been identified as holding appointments linked to the disputed qualifications. While the dismissal of the three assistant professors marks the first major action following the university's directive, officials said the process of examining other affected appointments and determining further action is still ongoing.

The case underscores the importance of rigorous credential verification in higher education recruitment and is likely to have wider implications for faculty appointments made on the basis of disputed academic qualifications.