The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the State Government to undertake verification of certificates used to secure admissions and government appointments under the reservation quota for dependants of freedom fighters, amid allegations of widespread use of fake certificates, particularly in the 2026 NEET-UG Counselling.

A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Subhash Upadhyay directed the Secretaries of the Home and Revenue Departments to constitute a committee within four weeks to examine the certificates and the role of officials involved in their issuance. The committee was directed to submit its report within six months of its constitution, following which the State Government is to take appropriate legal action against those found to have wrongfully secured reserved seats or posts.

The directions came in a public interest litigation filed by the National Public Service Trust, which sought verification of reservation and eligibility certificates used across Uttarakhand since the formation of the State, along with a CBI investigation into their alleged fraudulent procurement and use.

The Trust sought State-wide verification of freedom fighter and dependants of freedom fighter certificates used for admissions, public employment and other benefits, along with the underlying domicile, genealogical, caste/category and revenue records. It also sought verification of certificates submitted by candidates identified in 195 Round-I and 329 Round-II entries in the 2026 NEET-UG counselling process, after de-duplication.

The petitioner submitted that, in NEET-UG Counselling 2026 alone, certificates of 16 out of 24 candidates claiming reservation as dependants of freedom fighters were found to be fake. Despite this, the candidates had been permitted to participate in the first and second rounds of counselling.

It was argued that a thorough investigation into the role of CSCs, e-Service operators, Revenue Inspectors, Lekhpals, Tehsildars and other Revenue Department authorities was necessary to address the issuance of fake certificates. The petitioner further submitted that verification was required to identify those who had wrongly obtained reservation benefits and initiate appropriate action against them.

The State informed the Court that a Special Investigation Team (SIT), comprising six police officers and headed by a Superintendent of Police, had already been constituted to investigate the fake certificate issue. It submitted that the investigation was underway and further legal action would follow on the basis of the SIT's report.

Taking note of the public interest involved, the High Court directed the Secretaries of the Home and Revenue Departments to constitute a committee to verify the certificates of persons who had secured admissions or appointments against seats and posts reserved for dependants of freedom fighters. The committee was also directed to examine the role of CSCs, e-Service operators, Revenue Inspectors, Lekhpals, Tehsildars and other government officers in the issuance of such certificates.

The Court further requested the State Government to consider setting up a permanent committee to examine doubts regarding eligibility for reservation under the Uttarakhand Public Services (Reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes) Act, 1994, and the Uttarakhand Public Services (Reservation for Physically Handicapped, Dependents of Freedom Fighters and Ex-Servicemen) Act, 1993.

The proposed permanent committee may also be entrusted with conducting random verification of certificates to identify persons who have wrongfully secured admissions or appointments against reserved seats or posts.

The PIL was accordingly disposed of.