India, March 25 -- In a bid to curb the menace of fake marksheets, the Maharashtra government will issue directives to all colleges to verify student credentials before granting admissions. Additionally, the verification process will be conducted at the school education department level to prevent fraudulent entries. The announcement was made on Monday by Minister of State for School Education, Pankaj Bhoyar.

The decision follows the unearthing of a fake marksheet racket at KJ Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce in the city three months ago. Investigations revealed that 51 students had used forged marksheets and leaving certificates to secure admission in three junior colleges. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered on December...