Altogether 1,400 primary teachers have resigned from service in Bihar fearing government action over possession of fake educational degrees, a senior officer of the Education department said on Thursday.

More such teachers are expected to resign in the coming days after a Patna High Court order asking those possessing fake educational degrees to quit their jobs on their own to avoid facing legal action.

“Altogether 1400 teachers have resigned from service. More resignations are expected as we have fixed a deadline of July 8 for it. The final figure of those who resigned will be known only after it,” Education Department Principal Secretary R K Mahajan told reporters.

Mahajan said that strict action will be taken against those teachers possessing fake certificates, who do not resign within the stipulated period. FIRs will be lodged against them, their services will be terminated and the government will move for recovery of salary and other benefits given to them.

The High Court order came through a division bench of Chief Justice L Narasimha Reddy and Sudhir Singh while hearing a bunch of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by activists Ranjit Pandit and others.

Bihar has over 3.5 lakh primary teachers and the PILs allege that a large number among them have taken up the job on the basis of fake educational certificates.

The state government has already asked its vigilance department to probe the educational qualifications of the teachers, which has deputed eight DSPs and 38 inspectors for it.

The state government submitted before the High Court that it will take at least three to four months to complete the herculean task, which led to the court ordering a time frame under which action will not be taken against teachers who resign on their own.

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