PRAYAGRAJ, Feb. 3 -- Taking a serious view of the disturbing pattern of appointments secured by many assistant teachers in UP on 'forged certificates', the Allahabad high court has instructed the principal secretary, basic education, for a comprehensive, scrutiny of assistant teacher appointments across the state. It also directed to complete the said exercise within six months and ensure that not only are the illegal appointments cancelled but also the salaries are recovered and stringent action is taken against the colluding officials.Dismissing a writ petition filed by one Garima Singh, who challenged the cancellation of her appointment allegedly obtained through forged documents, Justice Manju Rani Chauhan noted that despite the issuance of several circulars and instructions by the state government, the authorities responsible for maintaining purity in the education system have failed to take effective and timely action against such illegal appointments."The inaction on the part of the authorities not only perpetuates fraud but also strikes at the very root of the education system, causing grave prejudice to the interest of students, which is of paramount and overriding consideration for this court," the court observed.The petitioner had challenged an order passed by the basic education officer, Deoria, cancelling her appointment after it was discovered that she had forged her educational documents and domicile certificate. The petitioner was appointed as an assistant teacher in July 2010 and served for nearly 15 years without complaint.The court dismissed the writ petition and said that no interference is required and the relief as prayed for cannot be granted. The court, in its order, noted that such persons continue to remain in service for years together, openly in collusion with the management of the institutions and, in many cases, with the active connivance or tacit approval of the basic shiksha adhikari concerned.The high court in its January 22 judgment also directed stringent disciplinary and penal action against officials found to have colluded with, abetted, or deliberately ignored such fraudulent appointments....