PATNA, Sept. 9 -- The ongoing appointment process for assistant professors by Bihar State University Service Commission (BSUSC) has once again landed in controversy over alleged use of fake experience/disability certificates and research papers and thesis not uploaded on the Shodhganga repository, a digital platform, by the concerned universities awarding degree. With the complaints reaching the Prime Minister office, President's office and the Chancellor's secretariat and around 900 cases lodged in Patna HC, Bihar's Raj Bhawan also intervened and wrote to the BSUSC secretary for required action and submit the action taken report. Raj Bhawan submitted a list of 24 shortlisted complaints received by it, with specific nature of objections by each complainant, though officials said the actual number could be much higher. Some of the complaints also relate to principals' appointments. "It appears that the issues raised have to be addressed at the level of BSUSC. It is, therefore, requested for appropriate action and communication to the complainants as well as the Governor's secretariat," said the letter from Mahavir Sharma, additional secretary to the Governor, to the BSUSC secretary. The issue has snowballed after complaints of irregularities in awarding points to several candidates allegedly having dubious research work or fake experience/disability certificates to push them up the ladder at the cost of deserving ones started reaching the PMO and the President's office with specific details, demanding probe. There are also allegations of candidates using fake disability certificates. Some candidates alleged research papers with DOI number and publications in Scoupous Index high impact factor had not been awarded marks on the ground that only first page had been uploaded. Senior advocates Abhinav Srivastava and PN Sahi are fighting such cases. BSUSC chairman Girish Choudhary had earlier confirmed that the issue of "some forged experience certificates" , but blamed it on the issuing universities, saying, "it is beyond the commission to verify if they have come under the seal and signature of the competent university authority (registrar of universities)". He again told HT that varsities were the experience certificate-issuing authority, Ph.D awarding authority as well as appointing authority and they had to take action in case of any forgery or mischief detected in their offices. "The commission has categorically written to each university to vet all the certificates before allowing them joining or confirmation. If the seal and signature of their universities have been forged, they have to take legal action. We send all the results to the universities through the government with specific instructions with regard to candidates having got marks for research papers or experience," he added. Choudhary said 5-6 cases had been detected and FIRs lodged. Regarding the research papers, the chairman cited a 2019 UGC public notice. "...Some research papers are mere story telling. In 2025 also, the UGC put eight conditions for giving marks for published papers. The problem is that those who miss out make all the noise in the hope that few deletions could brighten their prospect, but the fact is that there is no provision of waiting list. All the vacancies will be added for the next round of appointment," he said. He said results of some subjects were held up due to court cases and the matter is in appeal. "We have also received plaints over disability certificates, but once they are issued by competent authority, we follow the laid down procedures," he added. Consistently embroiled in one controversy after another, the appointment process is lingering and into the fifth year, while Bihar's struggling state universities, with none finding place in the latest NIRF ranking despite producing hundreds of doctorates and thousands of post-graduates, continue to present a paradox of students' enrolment even in departments having no teacher or just one or two. BSUSC had advertised 4,638 vacancies of assistant professors in 52 subjects on September 23, 2020, just ahead of the announcement of state polls. The previous recruitment process through the BPSC had also lingered for around five years. Patna HC had stayed the appointment process in 2022 over quota ambiguity and even raised a question mark over the advertisement itself for violating the reservation norms. The stay was lifted on April 18, 2024. In January this year, BSUSC had to cancel the interview of Ancient Indian History & Archeology/Culture/Asian Studies subjects after an HC order on a plea challenging change in the eligibility criteria midway by allowing 11 additional subjects based on the report of a committee dated January 1, 2024, in addition to three subjects. A couple of months ago, HC sought affidavit from BSUSC on "questionable legitimacy of the selection process", while hearing a plea challenging credibility of the process. The BSUSC was also in controversy over appointment of principals in colleges after those from little known institutions, including private colleges outside the state ended up joining premiere colleges through lottery system....