Task Force police officials have asked Osmania,Kakatiya and Andhra universities to issue a notification detailing the features of authentic certificates issued to students.The Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) has also been asked to notify similar details such as watermarks.
The memo was issued to universities after city Task Force police cracked down on 23 professionals who used fake certificates to get jobs in citybased IT firms.Among the certificates produced were those of Osmania,Andhra and Kakatiya varsities.A total of 800 fake certificates were seized from three counterfeiters at Nampally in June this year.
Some universities,including Osmania and Andhra,had last year issued certificates with electro-magnetic chips or RFIDs containing blood group and thumb impressions of students to prevent fraud.BIE certificates have watermarks which cannot be duplicated by ordinary printing machines.In addition,Osmania University has decided to scrutinise the certificates submitted by candidates for admissions to eradicate fakes.
Particularly certificates bearing smudged seals are being subjected to strict scrutiny.
With AICTE making 40% in group subjects mandatory for admission to engineering colleges,students have been approaching fake certificate makers for the same.As per the police investigation,most of these individuals are from Rajasthan and Orissa, said an OU official.