225 fake institutions from Assam got Rs 144 crore in minority scholarship funds, alleges CBI

A total of 1,572 institutes across 21 States were identified for evaluation based on red flags and of these, 830 were found either non-operational, fake or partially fake.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a first-information report (FIR) against 225 fake institutions from Assam, causing a loss of about Rs 144 crore to the Ministry of Minority Affairs during 2017-22.

The fake institutes purportedly received benefits under the minority scholarship programme during the fiscal years 2017–18 and 2021–22.

A total of 1,572 institutes across 21 States were identified for evaluation based on red flags and of these, 830 were found either non-operational, fake or partially fake.

These are institutions listed with the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) that were discovered to be “either non-operational or fake, or partial fake,”

More than 700 alleged fraud instances involving these 830 institutes were found in only five states-Assam (225), Karnataka (162), Uttar Pradesh (154), Rajasthan (99), and Chhattisgarh (62).

According to red flags raised by NSP, a total of 1,572 institutes were identified for evaluation.

The FIR is filed against unidentified persons of banks, institutions and others under IPC sections of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

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