Multiple investigations have uncovered a fake degree scandal at the National Law Institute University (NLIU) in Bhopal
A significant fake degree scandal was uncovered at the National Law Institute University (NLIU) in Bhopal, implicating both students and staff in widespread academic fraud. Investigations led by retired High Court judges found that between 1998 and 2016, at least 188 students—sometimes reported as over 200—fraudulently received degrees despite failing or lacking attendance in multiple subjects. These manipulations involved NLIU staff, including professors, who altered marksheets and records through overwriting, use of correction fluids, and unauthorized changes in official exam documentation. One particularly egregious case highlighted a student who failed 47 subjects but still received a degree.
Justice Abhay Gohil spearheaded an inquiry, uncovering a nexus in which staff received payments for falsifying results and issuing degrees to ineligible students. The probe recommended criminal proceedings against at least nine university employees, including both teaching and non-teaching staff. These findings prompted the university to initiate a review of over 8,000 degrees issued over 13 years, as the credibility of the institution was severely compromised.
In response, while one non-teaching staff member was dismissed, the General Council later decided to regularize the majority of the affected students’ degrees, offering special exams or condoning failures in some cases. However, widespread recommendations for criminal action against identified staff and deeper systemic reforms were not fully implemented, drawing criticism from observers and legal activists.
The scandal brought to light not only the malpractice within the examination and results system at NLIU Bhopal but also exposed deeper risks to judicial and legal recruitment, as some beneficiaries allegedly went on to secure government and judicial jobs using these fraudulent degrees.
