The Department of Higher & Technical Education, Government of Manipur, has initiated a statewide screening of M.Phil and Ph.D. degree certificates held by teachers serving in Government and Government-Aided Colleges across the state.
The directive, issued to the Director of University & Higher Education, follows a Supreme Court judgment dated March 31, 2014, that dissolved CMJ (Chandra Mohan Jha) University, Meghalaya, calling into question the validity of academic degrees conferred by the institution.
As part of the verification process, all Principals of Government and Government-Aided Colleges have been instructed to submit detailed information regarding teachers who have obtained M.Phil. or Ph.D. degrees from CMJ University. Additionally, reports indicating the possible use of fake or forged degrees from other institutions have prompted the government to broaden the scope of the screening.
The government has emphasized that the verification will include degrees from all universities—whether state, central, or deemed universities—across India, including those recognized by the Education Department of Meghalaya and other state governments.
In a circular memorandum dated June 20, 2025, the Department directed all teachers in Government and Government-Aided Colleges, including those under Dhanamanjuri University and Manipur Technical University, to submit their M.Phil and Ph.D. certificates through their respective principals or registrars. The deadline for submission has been set for July 10, 2025.
The screening applies to all teachers, including those who have used such degrees for upgradation to Assistant Professor, regularization, promotions under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS), or for claiming advance increments.
Teachers who fail to submit their academic credentials within the stipulated timeframe will be presumed to either not possess such qualifications or to have obtained them from illegitimate sources. The government has made it clear that in such cases, all benefits and privileges—such as promotions or salary increments—granted on the basis of these degrees will be revoked with immediate effect and without further notice.