Coaching Centre in Srinagar Exposed for Faking Student’s Score to Attract Admissions

Srinagar, Apr 21 : In a startling case of academic fraud, a Srinagar-based coaching institute has come under fire for falsely claiming that one of its students secured 99.84 percentile in the Joint Entrance (JE) examination, when in fact her actual score was 73.2 percentile.

A Kashmir News Trust (KNT) investigation has revealed that the institute, identified as SKIE Classes, tampered with the student’s original scorecard and circulated a doctored PDF version across social media platforms, aided by a network of affiliated Facebook influencers. The alleged motive: to draw in fresh enrollments during the ongoing admission season.

The deception came to light when several vigilant users scanned the QR code embedded in the PDF, which redirected them to the official National Testing Agency (NTA) portal and revealed the student’s actual percentile—73.2, falling well short of the 94 percentile qualification cut-off for JE.

Educational experts have denounced the incident as a gross violation of ethical standards. “This wasn’t a one-off mistake—it appears to be a premeditated marketing strategy,” said one education analyst. “Manipulating a government-issued document is a serious criminal offense and amounts to academic fraud.”

Sources allege that the student, whose identity is being protected due to her age and vulnerability, may have been coerced or misled into participating in promotional videos. These videos, celebrating her supposed “historic” achievement, were widely shared to bolster the institute’s reputation.

“This is deeply unethical,” said a parent who had considered enrolling their child at the centre. “They showcased a non-qualifier as a national topper—it’s outright deception.”

Media critics have also raised concerns over certain local news outlets and digital pages that promoted the fake result without verification, possibly in exchange for monetary benefits or promotional tie-ups with the coaching centre.

When approached by KNT, an official from SKIE Classes claimed the student’s parents had informed the institute about a discrepancy in the QR-linked result and said they had received a follow-up email from the NTA confirming the 99.84 percentile. The official urged KNT to delay the report until further clarification. However, when questioned about the alleged document manipulation, the institute admitted that they had initially relied on a screenshot and PDF shared by the student’s family.

Despite this defense, education stakeholders say the centre’s actions have already damaged public trust, and called for strict regulatory action. “Let this incident be a reminder: Percentile and percentage are different, and any attempt to mislead the public will not go unnoticed,” said a senior educator.

The incident has sparked widespread calls for greater accountability and regulation of Kashmir’s booming private coaching sector, where unchecked promotional tactics often blur the line between marketing and malpractice.