52 Hyderabad Junior Colleges Flagged Over Forged Fire NOCs

The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection (HYDRAA) has uncovered a major safety and governance irregularity, detecting 52 forged fire-safety No Objection Certificates (NOCs) submitted by junior colleges across the Telangana Core Urban Region. Initiated to audit compliance ahead of the upcoming academic years, the extensive verification drive has prompted an active police investigation against multiple private educational institutions.

The discovery comes at a critical time as colleges prepare their operational paperwork for academic affiliations. The fraudulent submissions have raised significant concerns regarding the actual fire preparedness of commercial and institutional buildings housing thousands of students in the state capital.

HYDRAA Uncovers 52 Fake Certificates During Audit

During a comprehensive verification drive, HYDRAA examined 142 fire-safety NOCs submitted by junior colleges for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 academic years. Official records confirm that while 90 certificates were genuine, 52 were fabricated. The audit was conducted in two distinct phases to manage the volume of documentation forwarded by District Intermediate Education Officers.

In the first phase of the review, the agency analyzed 76 certificates and identified seven fake documents. However, the scale of the forgery escalated significantly during the second phase, where 45 out of 66 reviewed certificates were found to be forged. The high rejection rate in the latter phase underscored a potential systemic issue in how these documents were being procured.

Following the audit, HYDRAA formally informed the Telangana Board of Intermediate Education about the fabrications, recommending immediate administrative action. Simultaneously, the agency escalated the matter to law enforcement, filing a formal complaint at the Lake police station near Necklace Road in July.

Consequences for College Managements and Operators

The immediate burden of this discovery falls heavily on the junior colleges that submitted the fake paperwork. These institutions now face severe administrative backlash, including the possible cancellation of their academic affiliations and operating permissions. To regularise their standing, the affected colleges are required to submit fresh, genuine fire-safety NOCs.

For real estate owners and education operators leasing out commercial spaces, the fallout involves potential regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and unforeseen costs tied to obtaining valid compliance certificates. A police official confirmed that a criminal case has already been registered against eight private junior colleges under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, opening the door for a wider criminal investigation.

This situation also exposes students, parents, and teaching staff to sudden uncertainty. Institutions that fail to secure legitimate approvals may face operational shutdowns, disrupting academic schedules and displacing students.

Institutions Across Hyderabad and Rangareddy Under Scanner

The geographical scope of the alleged forgery network directly impacts Hyderabad and its adjoining districts within the Telangana Core Urban Region, specifically spanning Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri, and Sangareddy. The police case currently implicates eight specific private junior colleges located in prominent urban nodes.

Institutions operating in Barkatpura, S.R. Nagar, Mehdipatnam, Vidyanagar, Chandrayangutta, Chikkadpally, Shivrampally, and Tellapur have been named in connection with the fraudulent documents. Authorities are actively verifying whether additional colleges in these high-density educational hubs are also involved in the racket.

“The findings indicate a significant governance and safety-control failure, with more than one-third of the 142 certificates examined classified as forged.”

Why Junior Colleges Need Valid Fire Approvals

Fire-safety NOCs are a non-negotiable statutory requirement for junior colleges seeking academic affiliation and operational permissions from the Telangana Board of Intermediate Education. These certificates act as proof that the building infrastructure has the necessary fire-fighting equipment, adequate exit routes, and safety protocols to protect occupants during an emergency.

Under current urban governance frameworks, HYDRAA is empowered to inspect properties and issue fire NOCs for non-high-rise buildings located within the Telangana Core Urban Region. By requesting copies of the NOCs submitted for the upcoming academic cycles, HYDRAA was able to cross-reference the submissions directly against their official issuance records, revealing the discrepancies.

Police Probe Forgery Network and Launch Campaigns

Law enforcement officials have launched a detailed investigation to trace the origins of the fabricated certificates. The primary goal is to uncover exactly how the forged documents were created and to identify the middlemen or network operators who supplied them to the college managements.

Meanwhile, the Telangana Board of Intermediate Education is expected to review HYDRAA’s recommendations, which likely involve suspending approvals until replacement documents are verified. In response to the crisis, HYDRAA has proactively initiated an awareness campaign targeting schools, junior colleges, hospitals, and commercial establishments to educate stakeholders on the correct, legal procedures for obtaining valid fire-safety NOCs.