The Ministry of Higher Education has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to verify the authenticity of certificates of visiting faculties working in government universities.
Manjushree N., Commissioner, Ministry of Higher Education, in a circular, ordered the formation of a “Certificate Verification Committee” in every first grade government college to verify the authenticity of certificates and asked them to follow this SOP compulsorily.
According to the Supreme Court order, around 8000 guest faculty have been selected for the year 2025-26 on the basis of qualification, experience and other details through online counseling in tier one government colleges as per required workload.
The department has mandated the directors of all universities to obtain a report on the authenticity of the PG, NET, SLET, K-SET, Ph.D., M.Phil mark sheets. Persons with Disability (PwD) Certificates and Kalyana Karnataka Visiting Faculty Certificates as a one-time procedure.
However, in a report submitted by the universities and institutions to the principals, it was found that many applicants had submitted fake certificates. Taking the issue seriously, the department planned to initiate action against these visiting faculty. However, more than 200 guest lecturers resigned from their posts.
In this context, the department resorted to SOP to verify the authenticity of the certificates submitted by the visiting faculty.
Verification Commission
A “Certificate Verification Committee” should be mandatorily constituted in every first grade government college to verify the authenticity of the educational documents of the visiting faculty. This committee will be headed by the director of the college and the members will be heads of all departments.
The Principal should ensure that the PG is issued by a university recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Reports regarding certificates of visiting faculty should be obtained from universities and verified.
If the report indicates that the education certificates are false or invalid, the information should be uploaded to the Education Management Information System (EMIS) portal. It was advised that the visiting faculty in question should be terminated immediately.
The SOP said that if there is any objection or complaint about the authenticity of the certificate, even if the message is “genuine” from the university, a “detailed check” should be done.
NET, K-SET certificates
To verify the authenticity of National Eligibility Test (NET) certificates, visit the official website of UGC and get the authenticity report of the certificate years available. Or immediately perform official verification online by scanning the QR code available on the certificate.
In case the certificates of some years are not available for verification on the official website of UGC, it has been informed that such certificates should be verified by contacting the National Testing Agency (NTA) or the concerned regional office of the UGC.
K-SET certificates
To verify the authenticity of the Karnataka State Eligibility Test (K-SET), contact the University of Mysore that has conducted the exam in the past. Or visit the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) website currently in charge, scan the QR code available on the certificate and verify the authenticity online.
Regarding the certificates submitted by visiting faculties for Persons with Disabilities (PwD), the Headmaster should write to the District Hygienist or the District Medical Board to get the visiting faculties examined as per the rules and get an official report on the extent of their disability.
Regarding the certificate submitted by the visiting lecturers that they belong to the Kalyana region of Karnataka, the Principal should write to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the concerned district and request him to submit the certificate of validity.
In case of any doubts or complaints regarding the service certificates submitted by the visiting faculties, the committee will officially correspond with the Principal of the concerned college and compulsorily confirm the authenticity of the certificate.
Speaking to The Hindu, Manjushree N., Commissioner, Department of Collegiate Education said, “Since the current academic year, guest faculty have been recruited based on UGC norms and during document verification, it was found that many guest lecturers have submitted fake certificates. This is a very serious problem. Therefore, a separate SOP of all guest education certificates must be issued.”
Published – 18 Feb 2026 21:31 IST