Following the row that broke out over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s degree, a claim is spreading across social media alleging that Gujarat University Vice-Chancellor Professor KS Shastri, whose signature is seen on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Masters’ degree, passed away in 1981, two years before the certificate was issued.
On April 1, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal noted that the Gujarat High Court’s order ruling that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s degree details were not needed, raises a lot of questions over the PM’s education. Previously, the Gujarat High Court set aside a 2016 order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) issuing directions to Gujarat University to provide the details of PM Modi’s M.A. degree.
Claim:
The viral tweet contains a collage of two images, one showing an image of the prime minister’s degree and the other showing a sepia-colored image showing KS Shastri, the text ‘Vice-Chancellor’ along with the dates 22-08-1980 to 13-07-1981 in brackets.
Anil Patel, who describes himself as a Congress supporter and a social activist, tweeted the images with a Hindi caption, claiming, “Vice Chancellor KS Shastri who signed the prime minister’s degree died in 1981, so how did the degree get printed after?”
The claim is viral across Facebook and Twitter with a similar caption.
Fact Check:
On conducting a reverse image search on the viral image, we came across a result on the website of Veer Narmad South Gujarat University. The same photo as the viral image can be seen here. The website notes that Shastri was vice-chancellor of VNSGU from 22-08-1980 to 13-07-1981.
We also did a keyword search, which led us to a PDF document uploaded on the Gujarat University website listing the former vice-chancellors of the university. Professor K.S. Shastri’s tenure as vice chancellor of the university lasted from 1981 to 1987.
After another keyword search, we came across a report by the Times of India published on November 24, 2003, titled, ‘Arrest a Modi conspiracy: Shastri’. The TOI report notes that the former vice chancellor and his son were arrested on charges of corruption, to which he retorted with allegations of a state government conspiracy.
The former vice chancellor was accused of carrying out an illegal fee hike. The TOI report also noted that Shastri had led a “Maha Gujarat Navnirman agitation against the Modi government.”
Another report from June 10, 2012, titled, ‘Now, Gujarat varsity teachers body ousts K S Shastri’, noted that the former vice chancellor was unanimously voted out from his post of president of Gujarat University Area Teachers’ Association.
The TOI report also noted that previously, Shastri was voted out of the post of president of the Gujarat State Federation of University and College Teachers’ Association. “The septuagenarian academician has lost considerable ground in the university politics over the past few years,” the TOI report adds.
Conclusion:
The viral claim that KS Shastri, the former Gujarat Vice Chancellor who had signed Modi’s degree, died in 1981 is false. Professor K.S. Shastri’s tenure as vice chancellor of the Veer Narmad South Gujarat University lasted from 1980 to 1981. Meanwhile, Shastri’s tenure as vice chancellor of Gujarat University lasted from 1981 to 1987. After that Shastri continued to occupy roles in Gujarat’s educational federations. Thus, the viral claim is false.
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Fact Check
2023-04-07 10:05:31.0
‘Dead In 1981, How Did VC Sign PM Modi’s Degree Certificate In 1983’? Viral Claim Is False
