Now, QR code to detect bogus income certificate

Naina Mishra
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 9

Now, private schools can check the authenticity of income certificates through a unique quick response code (QR code) printed on them for validation.

The feature of the online system will help check forgery or counterfeiting of certificates by fake EWS applicants. The application number and certificate number can be verified from the official website — chdservices.gov.in/e-D i s t r i c t

Every year, with the commencement of the economically weaker section (EWS) admissions, private schools take measures to verify income certificates of EWS applications at their own level.

However, with the online service by the estate office, the schools will now be able to check fake income certificates. After entering the application number and certificate number in the ‘Online Status Verification’ column, the income certificate will appear on the portal as well.

The authentication feature will simplify the process of admission as some schools were also seeking EWS affidavit at their own level. Earlier, the candidates had to declare health/life/or any other insurance policies and an annual premium paid towards the policy in the said affidavit.

Principals of city private schools have hailed the new feature in the income certificate. Atul Khanna, Director of Strawberry Fields High School, said: “It is a very good feature. Applicants with fake income certificates will be easily filtered out.”

It is during the entry-level admissions that the cases of fake EWS applicants also emerge. Last year, several schools had set up inquiries at their individual level against the EWS applicants and found bogus applications as well.

Tender Heart School had filed 20 Right to Information (RTIs) applications for seeking details of documents applied by EWS applicants in the income certificate.

Some private schools were found to be seeking documents other than the ones prescribed by the UT Education Department in 2012. The department on Saturday made it clear that schools can only seek income certificates attested by SDMs.

What is income certificate

An income certificate is issued by the estate office only for EWS applicants during the admission cycle. It is a self-declaration of family income from all sources. Parents from the EWS category have to file a declaration stating that if any information for getting the income certificate is found to be false at any stage, the admission of their ward will get cancelled without any further inquiry and appropriate action will be taken under the RTE Act.