MOM probing 15 work pass holders linked to Indian private university that sold fake degrees

SINGAPORE — Fifteen work pass holders in Singapore are being investigated after they had declared in their work pass applications that their educational qualifications came from a university that was recently exposed to have sold fake degrees, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Wednesday (Feb 17).

“If found to have falsely declared their educational qualifications, their work passes will be immediately revoked and they will be permanently barred from employment in Singapore,” MOM said in a media statement.

The Manav Bharti University is a private university in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, which was exposed earlier this month by local authorities for having sold around 36,000 fake degrees across India for a period of 11 years, according to reports.

Of the 41,000 degrees issued by the university so far, only 5,000 have been found to be genuine, one report by the Times of India newspaper said. The university is run by a charitable trust, whose chairman and his family are in Australia.

In Singapore, the MOM commenced investigations on the 15 work pass holders, who are still working here, as they had declared that their qualifications had come from the university. The ministry did not identify them or their employers.

Said the MOM: “Employers have the primary responsibility to ensure the authenticity and quality of the academic qualifications of the foreigners they wish to hire.”

This means that employers should have evaluated the candidate, including his qualifications, to ensure that he has the right skills and qualifications needed, said the ministry.

“The majority of employers take this role seriously as it is in their interest to have a rigorous selection and recruitment process in place to ensure qualified candidates,” it added.

MOM conducts checks and verifications after the employer submits the academic documents, including closely scrutinising academic institutions, companies and people deemed to be of higher risk.

The ministry will revoke the work passes of foreign employees who submitted forged documents in their applications and permanently bar them from working in Singapore, it said.

An average of 660 foreigners have been banned permanently each year over the past five years because they submitted fake educational qualifications in their work pass applications.

They could also be charged under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and face a fine of up to S$20,000 or two years’ imprisonment, or both. Over the last five years, an average of eight foreigners were convicted each year of making false declarations, said MOM.