Police action would be considered against students found to have submitted fake certificates at the engineering counselling, Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy said here on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters on the issue after Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions authorities found fake nativity and marks certificates being submitted, Mr. Ponmudy said the respective officials were verifying the documents.
In all, there were 41 suspicious cases, many of them relating to marks certificates where students had claimed higher marks after revaluation. Nativity certificates issued by the Ambattur and Pallipattu tahsildars had also been found to be suspicious and the revenue and government examinations authorities had been asked to examine them, Mr. Ponmudy said.
If these were found to be bogus, appropriate police action would be taken against the erring officials and the students, apart from debarring the students from admissions, the minister added.
While more than 40 new colleges could be added in the State following approval from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Mr. Ponmudy said there was also the possibility of an increase in the number of seats in existing colleges.
“That decision will also come in the coming week. We will allow students who have already taken up seats in the counselling until now to apply for these seats,” he said.
On complaints that excess fees was being collected by many colleges in spite of strict government orders, the Minister said the Tamil Nadu State Council for Technical Education under M.S. Palanichamy would look into all complaints made by students and parents.
