Peshawar University's employees found taking commissions for issuing degrees, transcripts

An investigation on Tuesday revealed that the employees of the University of Peshawar - the largest university in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa -- were taking commissions from students for issuing degrees and transcripts.

As per Geo News, the university issues more than 20,000 transcripts and degrees to students annually.

The investigation found that 8 per cent was charged as a commission by university employees from the amount collected for degrees, transcripts (marks sheets) and verification fees.

From the received amount, 50 per cent was allotted to the controller examinations, 30 per cent went to the deputy controller and 20 per cent to the verification assistant, reported Geo News.

In the online foreign degree verification fee, 40 per cent went to the controller of examinations and the registrar and 20 per cent to the verification assistant.

During the probe, it was also revealed that the university employees took millions of rupees from the students under the guise of law.

The staff took Rs 1.6 million out of Rs 20 million that the varsity took for degree verification, while they siphoned off Rs 2.6 million from a total of Rs 30.3 million taken for degree issuance, reported Geo News.

Kamran Khan Bangash, Special Assistant for Higher Education Kamran Khan, distanced himself from the University syndicate, stating that some people in the universities were playing the role of a mafia.

However, after the government's instructions, the University syndicate abolished the extra fees charged from the students.

Till 2012, employees of the examinations department used to receive 10 per cent of the fees for issuing and verifying degrees, but the syndicate later reduced this to 8 per cent, reported Geo News.

( With inputs from ANI )