The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Assam Police has launched an investigation into the alleged use of forged Class X pass certificates issued in the name of the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), with the Assam State School Education Board (ASSEB), Division-II, identifying 4,934 students who secured admission to Class XI using such documents over two academic sessions.
The issue has raised concerns over the authenticity of educational certificates and the admission process in schools across the state. Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu has said that students found to have secured admission using forged certificates will lose their seats. He also indicated that a majority of the suspected cases had been reported from Nagaon district.
“Most of the students getting admission with fake certificates are from the Nagaon district,” Pegu said.
According to ASSEB, Division-II, 2,083 students secured admission to Class XI during the 2025-26 academic session, while another 2,851 students were admitted during the 2026-27 session using Class X pass certificates bearing the CISCE name. The certificates were allegedly issued by institutions that are not affiliated with the council.
In a communication dated September 5 addressed to the Commissioner and Secretary of the state Department of School Education, the Board stated that it had verified the list of CISCE-affiliated institutions provided by the council. The verification found that only 28 schools across Assam and Arunachal Pradesh were affiliated with CISCE.
However, the Board identified 94 institutions allegedly issuing Class X certificates in the name of CISCE despite having no affiliation with the council. It subsequently classified the certificates as fake and forged, holding both the institutions that issued them and the students who submitted them responsible.
As part of the action, the Board has blocked the registration of students admitted during the ongoing 2026-27 academic session on the basis of the suspected certificates.
The Board has also urged the state government to direct district school inspectors to initiate legal proceedings against the institutions allegedly involved in issuing the documents. This includes registering First Information Reports (FIRs) against the institutions concerned.
Further, ASSEB has recommended that the institutions be directed to discontinue the studies of students admitted in both academic sessions using the disputed certificates. A district-wise list of the institutions where such admissions took place has also been submitted to the government to facilitate further investigation and action.
Meanwhile, the Hojai district committee of the All Assam Minorities Students’ Union (AAMSU) has demanded a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged certificate racket. The organisation claimed that more than 600 students in Hojai district had obtained CISCE-branded certificates and secured admission to different schools during the current academic session.
In a memorandum submitted on Tuesday to the Chief Minister, Education Minister and Hojai District Commissioner, the student organisation sought stringent legal action against those allegedly involved in preparing, selling and distributing the forged certificates. It also demanded that all members of the alleged syndicate be identified and arrested.
AAMSU expressed concern over the reported absence of FIRs in Hojai despite the Board’s directions to initiate legal proceedings against institutions suspected of issuing the certificates and students who used them for admission.
The organisation has called for a comprehensive investigation to identify those responsible for the alleged racket and establish how the certificates were issued and used to secure admissions in schools.