Fake Telangana Agricultural University Certificate Detected

Hyderabad: A forged educational certificate of the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) has come to light, prompting the university to alert the Agriculture department.

The issue surfaced after reports appeared in newspapers on Wednesday stating that a person named M. Radha is working as an Agricultural Extension Officer (AEO) on the basis of a diploma certificate claiming that she studied at the Agricultural Polytechnic College, Palem, between 2003 and 2005.

Taking suo motu cognisance, the university conducted an internal verification and found that no student by that name had been enrolled or completed a diploma course at the Palem Agricultural Polytechnic during that period. The inquiry revealed that the certificate originally belonged to another individual B. Devaraj, who studied at the same college under a different identity number.

According to the university, the certificate had been altered by changing the name and using it to secure employment in the Agriculture department. The university said it has formally informed the Director of Agriculture about its findings for further action.

In an official statement, the university said it treats misuse of its name and forged academic records seriously, as such cases undermine the credibility of public institutions and affect genuine candidates.

The Agriculture department is expected to initiate departmental and legal proceedings based on the information shared by the university.