The education department in Bihar's Banka district has dismissed a government school teacher who allegedly held his job for about 32 years using another man's educational certificates, according to reports published on 31 October by FirstBihar and Voice of Bihar.

The teacher was appointed in September 1994 and was most recently posted at an upgraded middle school in Barahat block. The District Education Officer (DEO) dismissed him with immediate effect under the Bihar Government Servant (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 2005.

How the case came to light

The reports say the certificates belong to a man with the same name who passed both the 1994 primary teacher recruitment exam and a police sub-inspector exam that year, and chose the police. He is now a police officer posted in Ranchi. In October 2023 he filed a forgery complaint at Mohanpur police station in Jharkhand's Deoghar district. He alleged that the teacher had misused his educational certificates and PAN card to get a government job.

The investigating officer told the Banka DEO about the case in January 2025. The DEO issued notices to both men in February 2026.

What verification showed

According to the reports, the police officer submitted all his original certificates. The teacher submitted duplicate matriculation and intermediate certificates and could not produce any records of the 1994 recruitment. When he was summoned, he said he was unwell and being treated in Kolkata, but the reports note that his letter was posted from Banka.

The dismissal is a departmental action. The reports did not say whether a criminal case has been filed in Bihar or what stage the Jharkhand police complaint has reached. The allegations have not been tested in court.

Lessons for recruiters

The case shows a weakness that reviews of old appointments keep finding: when a recruiter checks only names and document numbers, two candidates with the same name can be confused or exploited. Recruiting bodies can reduce this risk by matching photographs, signatures and parents' names against the original admit cards and results, and by confirming certificates with the issuing board rather than accepting duplicates.

Sources

This News Desk report summarises information published by the sources above, written in our own words. Persons named in criminal matters are accused, not convicted, unless a court has ruled otherwise. To report an error, use our contact page.

BiharTeacher recruitmentImpersonationCertificate verificationBanka

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