Row over Goa Minister Dilip Parulekars Degree

Panaji: Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar was on Tuesday accused of "faking" his educational qualification in his poll-related affidavit. The minister later blamed a "typographical error" for the discrepancy.

Parulekar is the second cabinet minister and third legislator in the 40-member Goa legislative assembly to be accused of faking educational qualifications in a sworn affidavit submitted to the Election Commission of India before elections.
Earlier, the Aam Aadmi Party in Goa accused Public Works Department Minister Ramakrishna alias Sudin Dhavalikar of claiming a "fake" Bachelor of Science degree. In his defence, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said educational qualification was not a criteria to be a minister.
"Information obtained under the Right to Information Act shows that Dilip Parulekar claimed in his affidavit filed before the 2007 assembly elections that he passed B.Com. from Goa University in 1988," civil society activist Rodrigues said.
"However, in an affidavit filed before the 2012 assembly elections, Parulekar said he passed higher secondary (Class 12) from the Goa Board in 1985," Rodrigues told a press conference on Tuesday, where he furnished documents to support his contention.
Rodrigues said that RTI replies from Dnyanprassarak Mandal's College near Mapusa, 10 km north of the state capital, showed that Parulekar failed in B.Com. First Year in 1986-87 and failed again in the subsequent academic year.
"He simply could not have passed B.Com. in 1988, as mentioned in the 2007 affidavit," the civil society activist said.
Parulekar blamed the inconsistency on a "typographical error".
"The error was made in the 2007 affidavit, which was subsequently corrected by the deputy returning officer. As a result, I filed a revised affidavit before the 2012 assembly elections. People with vested interests are raising this issue now," Parulekar said.