A shocking case that casts doubt on the education system was discovered in the Sangrur district of Punjab. A large-scale fraud involving ghost admissions and fake attendance records for students from Scheduled Castes (SC) has been revealed. This led to the embezzlement of funds intended for these children, including scholarships, food rations, and development grants.
This incident reached the highest constitutional body—the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC). The official complaint filed with the Commission alleges that an organized group has been misappropriating state funds allocated to children by name for years.
According to the complaint, falsifications occurred in three major schools under the Bhindra center in Sangrur: GPS Bhindra, GPS Baliyan, and GPS Santokhpura.
Firstly, children who had left the village continued to be listed in school records with fictitious attendance. Furthermore, children who attended private schools or did not exist at all were included in the documentation.
Secondly, there was theft of scholarships, free uniforms, textbooks, and school meal rations designated for SC students. These funds were illegally obtained by artificially inflating the number of students on the 'e-Punjab' and U-DISE portals. Accusations also extend to the theft of folic acid and anemia medication intended for the children.
Thirdly, children were given fake grades and promoted through classes without taking exams or undergoing physical assessment over the past five years. This is a direct violation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009 and the IT Act.
When villagers and Right to Information (RTI) activists submitted three separate RTI requests to ascertain the details of the fraud, the information was concealed with the complicity of education officials. It is alleged that any teacher or citizen who raised questions about this illegal activity faced false accusations and was transferred to remote areas.
Given the seriousness of the situation, the complainants appealed directly to the NCSC headquarters, demanding intervention instead of relying on local investigation. They urged the Commission, based on Article 338 of the Constitution, to immediately seize records and conduct a full police investigation by registering a First Information Report (FIR). They also demanded the immediate suspension of promotions and annual increments for the implicated officials.