Shimla: After allegations were made against some private universities in Rajasthan for handing out fake degrees, the Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission has decided to check the degrees of all the lecturers who are employed in all the universities and colleges in the state.

The commission has directed all private, government universities and colleges of the state to verify the degrees of lecturers who had obtained PhD degrees from outside the state.

The commission has also written a letter to the Chief Secretary of the state to check the degrees of government officers of the state.

The step came after the Haryana government initiated an inquiry in the case related to fake degrees being awarded by private universities in Rajasthan and other states. Several private universities located in Churu and Jhunjhunu districts in Rajasthan have been accused of awarding fake degrees to their students.

Chairman, Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission, Major General (Retd.) Atul Kaushik said that the commission has sent letters to Vice-Chancellors of universities, Principals and Registrars of colleges to check the degrees of those teachers who have completed their PhDs from private universities in Rajasthan and other states.

“We will inform the government after receiving the report” he added.

He further said that no one will be allowed to teach in the educational institutions in the state by getting degrees through the wrong means.