From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: Higher Education Department in Assam has started investigation to find out the college teachers working in the State who have acquired Ph.D and other higher post-graduate degrees from beleaguered CMJ University in Meghalaya.
The step taken by the Higher Education department has created ripples among the college teachers community in Assam with reports suggesting that some college teachers paid to the tune of Rs 1.5 lakh to acquired Ph.D degree from the university.
The issue also came up for discussion in Assam Assembly during the last budget session much before Meghalaya Governor R S Mooshahary stepped in to prevent CMJ varsity’s business of doling out Ph.D and other degrees at a premium.
The issue was raised in the House by Congress MLA Binanda Saikia drawing the attention of Education Minister Dr Himanta Bishwa Sarma who informed the House about anomalies suspected in the process of grant of Ph. D degree by CMJ varsity and stated that such degrees, if found, would not be accepted given that the University Grant Commission (UGC) does not recognize such ‘off campus’ degrees.
After that Higher Education Department has started investigation to find out college teachers armed with degrees from CMJ University. Such teachers will be first served notice by the department to set the ground for further action.
In the wake of Assam Education minister making comment in the House about irregularities related to off campus Ph. D degree from CMJ University, the varsity authority through advertisement in newspapers stated that no college teacher from Assam had been granted Ph. D degree by the university and the matter took a turn for the worse after Meghalaya Governor initiated action against the varsity.
According to an official source, a team of CID of Meghalaya Police in coordination with Assam Police is trying to locate persons in Assam who had acquired Ph. D degree from CMJ University.