Fake teachers, inflated salaries: Stunning revelations in Bihar’s internal audit

Unauthorised portal access, inflated salary allowances and direct bank transfers are among the irregularities allegedly detected in the Bihar Education Department’s internal audits of its Human Resource Management System (HRMS).

The government’s internal audit report details three cases in Nawada, Bhagalpur and Patna involving alleged manipulation of salary records, misuse of login credentials and payments purportedly made in the names of non-existent teachers. The three cases involve alleged irregular payments totalling about Rs 1.85 crore, based on the amounts cited in the complaints and published reports. Police investigations and departmental proceedings have followed, with at least four officials suspended, according to published reports.

Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari told The Indian Express that the state government was auditing all 38 districts. “I have asked officials to complete the internal audit by mid-November. We are also engaging experts to prevent fudging of the HRMS system. The findings of three case studies raise serious concerns and have also alarmed us to devise a better system of online payments. Our crackdown on corrupt teachers and officials would continue,” he said.

Case I: Nawada

An internal financial and portal audit in Nawada uncovered alleged irregularities at the primary school level.

On October 13, 2026, an FIR was lodged at Town Police Station in Nawada under BNS Sections 316(2) and 316(5) (criminal breach of trust), 336(3), 338 and 340(2) (forgery), along with Section 13 (criminal misconduct by a public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018).

The complaint, lodged by the Nawada District Education Officer, names a primary school teacher in Beladih, Rajauli, a clerk designated as the portal “Maker” and a head clerk designated as the “Checker” as accused.

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The FIR said: “Salary sheets approved by the Block Education Officer (BEO) of Rajauli fixed [the teacher’s] gross monthly salary for April 2025 at Rs 46,772. However, the Maker and Checker allegedly inflated her April payout to Rs 4,91,772 by adding an unauthorised ‘Other Allowances’ figure of Rs 4,52,222.” In May 2025, the Rajauli BEO approved the teacher’s salary of Rs 46,772, but she was paid Rs 3,49,500 after the addition of unauthorised allowances, the FIR said.

The FIR said: “The scrutiny of SBI, Nawada, account showed a payment of Rs 2,86,000 to the teacher from Samagra Shiksha fund.” It said the Samagra Shiksha fund should not have been diverted. The payment was also not part of her salary, as the teacher, who had been promoted to “vishith (special) teacher”, was eligible to receive her salary through the HRMS portal.

In total, the teacher received unauthorised payments of Rs 10,43,950, according to the FIR.

Investigators alleged a possible link between the teacher and the approving authorities, citing a transfer of Rs 1,00,000 on May 20, 2025, from her SBI account to a Punjab National Bank account held by a person named Satish Kumar. Police suspected that the account holder could be the same Satish Kumar who was the office head clerk and Checker, one of the two officials responsible for processing payments. The identity of the bank account holder and the alleged link require confirmation. Investigators concluded that the excess payment of Rs 10 lakh “cannot be a clerical error”.

Case II: Patna

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On October 14, 2026, Patna District Education Officer Yogesh Kumar suspended Vijay Kumar Vidyarthi, a clerk at FNS Academy in Gulzarbagh, over alleged financial irregularities involving Rs 76,71,983 in government and departmental funds.

According to the suspension order, Vidyarthi allegedly used the DEO’s official Maker Login ID to make unauthorised portal entries and generate excess payments. The allegations include cheating, criminal conspiracy and breach of trust.

His headquarters was shifted to the Office of the Block Education Officer in Ghoswari. His subsistence allowance is subject to verified attendance reports, while a formal charge sheet and departmental inquiry proceed. Copies of the suspension order were sent to the headmaster of FNS Academy, the Patna Treasury Officer and other establishment officials.

Case III: Bhagalpur

In an official order dated October 21, 2026, Director (Administration) of the Education Department Vijay Kumar Pandey said Shashi Chandan Choudhary, the district programme officer, had been booked by Jogsar Police Station in Bhagalpur on October 8, 2026, over alleged unauthorised payments through the HRMS portal in the name of a fictitious teacher. Choudhary was arrested a day later. The amount withdrawn was not mentioned.

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In another Bhagalpur case, the district education officer was suspended over an alleged unauthorised payment of Rs 98,12,773 to a fictitious teacher named Tanushree over several months. A case was lodged against him at Jogsar Police Station on October 8, 2026.