Vadodara: The row over the appointment of former M S University (MSU) vice-chancellor Vijaykumar Srivastava has deepened after Bundelkhand University in Jhansi reportedly confirmed that his PhD certificate is fake. Professor Satish Pathak from MSU’s Faculty of Education on Wednesday submitted representations to the state education department’s principal secretary and the MSU registrar, demanding immediate legal and disciplinary action. Pathak said he had sought verification of the PhD certificate that Srivastava had filed in an affidavit before the Gujarat high court on July 17.

According to Bundelkhand University’s controller of examinations, the PhD degree—claimed to have been awarded in 2000 in organic chemistry by the Institute of Basic Science—was fabricated and never issued by the university. Pathak alleged that Srivastava misled authorities with forged documents, false affidavits, and inflated credentials, which resulted in his appointment as vice-chancellor on February 10, 2022. Srivastava resigned on January 8, 2025, a month before his tenure was set to end.

Calling the appointment “void ab initio,” Pathak urged the authorities to declare it invalid from inception, recover all salaries, perks, allowances, and foreign travel expenses, and verify all of Srivastava’s academic qualifications, including his MSc. He also demanded that an FIR be lodged for fraud, forgery, and perjury, and that Srivastava be barred from holding any future academic or public posts.

In related development, the former MSU VC who currently lives in Ahmedabad has filed a case against Pathak in Sola police station. DeshGujarat