Chennai: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a stern warning against individuals and institutions involved in distributing fake certificates or making unauthorized corrections in CBSE-issued documents.

The board said strict action would be taken against those found guilty of such malpractices. It also clarified that any certificate issued without the recommendation of the respective educational institution and the approval of the CBSE headquarters will be treated as invalid.

CBSE officials said the board has intensified surprise inspections to monitor school infrastructure, teacher deployment, and student attendance to ensure compliance with its norms. “We have received complaints that some individuals and organizations are charging large sums of money to make unauthorized changes in CBSE certificates,” a senior official said.

Advising parents and students to exercise caution, the CBSE urged them not to fall prey to fraudulent advertisements by fake institutions. “Do not risk your money and future by believing in such claims. Corrections in certificates can only be made through the concerned school following the official process,” the board said in an advisory.

The board further appealed to the public to rely only on information published on its official website (www.cbse.gov.in) or regional office communications for certificate-related services.

“Any violation of the prescribed procedure will invite appropriate disciplinary and legal action,” CBSE warned.