Telangana HC orders reinstatement of 35 junior lecturers

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday, October 28, ordered the reinstatement of 35 junior lecturers dismissed over alleged fake degree certificates.

Justice K Sarath observed that the lecturers can not be dismissed based on allegations of fake postgraduate certificates without conducting an inquiry and allowing them to defend themselves.

The interim order was passed after the judge heard a batch of petitions challenging the October 1 proceedings issued by the Director of Intermediate Education. The judge also clarified that the interim order would not prevent the authorities from initiating departmental proceedings in accordance with the law.

According to the petitioners, their services were regularised in May 2023 along with over 3,000 contractual junior lecturers after they submitted postgraduate certificates and genuineness letters issued by the respective universities.

“The department initially accepted these documents but later issued show-cause notices alleging that their certificates were not genuine,” they argued.

The petitioners submitted explanations denying the allegations and pointed out that the universities had earlier certified their qualifications as genuine.

They argued that the authorities ignored their explanations and cancelled their appointments without conducting an inquiry under the applicable service rules.

“Further, the director of Intermediate Education, being a higher authority, could not bypass the regional joint director of Intermediate Education, the disciplinary authority, thereby depriving them of an opportunity to appeal,” the petitioners added.

The Telangana government opposed the petitions, arguing that the universities had informed the department that records relating to the lecturers’ certificates could not be found.

“Their appointments were subject to verification of original certificates, their probation had not been declared and a regular departmental inquiry was not necessary before cancelling their appointments,” the government counsel argued.

In response, the High Court observed that the lecturers had produced university letters certifying the genuineness of their certificates, while subsequent communications from the same universities questioned their authenticity.

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