Education
J&K
A coaching centre based in Srinagar has landed in serious controversy after it was found to have misrepresented a student’s Joint Entrance Examinations (JEE) results to attract new admissions. The institution, identified as SKIE Classes, had falsely advertised that one of its students had secured an impressive 99.84 percentile, whereas her actual score was only 73.2 percentile. A detailed probe conducted by KNT uncovered that SKIE Classes had circulated a tampered PDF of the student’s scorecard across social media. The altered document, showing the inflated percentile, was distributed through a network of Facebook influencers associated with the centre, in an apparent effort to gain publicity and credibility during peak admission season. Her photo and video with influencers were viral from yesterday, claiming she had topped in J&K with historic marks. However, the falsification was exposed when vigilant users scanned the QR code embedded in the scorecard PDF. The scan led directly to the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) original record, which displayed the student’s real percentile—73.2—well below the minimum qualifying cutoff of 94. Educational professionals were quick to condemn the act, calling it a deliberate and unethical attempt to deceive prospective students and their families. “This isn’t just manipulation—it’s document tampering, a punishable offense. It’s highly unlikely the student acted alone. This looks orchestrated by the coaching centre,” said one education expert who spoke to KNT. The student, whose name is being withheld to protect her privacy, was allegedly showcased in promotional videos by social media content creators affiliated with the institute. Whether she participated knowingly or was coerced remains unclear, but videos celebrating her ‘record-breaking success’ were widely shared online, furthering the false narrative. Adding to the irony, the institute hailed the manipulated percentile as a “historic achievement.” This, according to critics, was a calculated move to exploit the student’s image and mislead the community. “She didn’t even qualify, yet was promoted as a topper. This is a dangerous precedent,” one educationist commented. The media has also come under fire for failing to verify the claim before broadcasting it. Some outlets were allegedly incentivized to publish the story without fact-checking, contributing to the spread of misinformation. “It’s not just one case—it reflects a larger problem in the private education sector, where ethics are often overlooked in the race for profits,” said a concerned parent. Calls for regulatory oversight have grown louder in the aftermath of this incident. Education professionals and parents alike are demanding stringent action against the coaching centre, not just for tampering with official documents, but for manipulating public trust and exploiting a young student for promotional gain. In response to the allegations, a representative from SKIE Classes told News Eye that they were informed by the student’s parents of a supposed discrepancy in the QR code-linked result. The official also claimed that an email from the NTA had confirmed the 99.84 percentile, and requested the news outlet to delay publication until the matter was resolved. When pressed about the authenticity of the scorecard, the institute claimed it had initially received a screenshot reflecting the higher percentile, later followed by a PDF. This incident serves as a stark reminder that percentile and percentage are not interchangeable, and that fraudulent academic claims will eventually be exposed. As the integrity of coaching institutes comes under increasing scrutiny, this case highlights the urgent need for transparency, accountability, and better oversight in Kashmir’s private education sector.
