Asword of uncertainty hangs over 93,000 elementary school teachers in Bihar. This is because these teachers have—for almost five years—failed to submit their eligibility credentials for an ongoing verification by the State Vigilance Bureau. Nevertheless, they have continued to draw their salaries.

But, not anymore, it seems. The education department has set up a web portal and asked these teachers to upload scanned copies of their eligibility documents by July 20. The permissible documents include certificates of academic qualification and teacher training authentications, along with caste and domicile certificates. Teachers will face termination of job and recovery of salaries paid over the years if they fail to do so.

The issue pertains to the appointment of 352,818 assistant teachers in the state between 2006 and 2015 by panchayati raj institutions and urban municipal bodies. Teacher Appointment Committees of the respective rural bodies made these appointments by screening the academic and professional qualifications (like B.Ed) of applicants. The appointments, however, remained mired in controversy due to allegations of large-scale irregularities, including hiring on the basis of fake degrees.

In December 2015, hearing a PIL, the Patna High Court ordered the State Vigilance Bureau to verify the academic credentials and other eligibility certificates of the teachers. Following the court order, more than 1,000 teachers resigned in 2015, fearing action over possession of fake educational degrees.