Fact-Check: No, the VC Who Signed PM Modi's Certificate Didn't Die in 1981

The dates in the viral graphic show KS Shastri's tenure as vice-chancellor of Veer Narmad South Gujarat University.

Amid the controversy over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational degree, a viral social media post claims that the person who signed PM Modi's degree in 1983 died in 1981.

Who is making the claims: Several accounts associated with the Indian National Congress, including the verified Facebook page of Bihar Pradesh Youth Congress, shared the claim on their platform.

(Archives of more such posts can be found here and here.)

The truth: We found that the claim was false. The viral screenshot shows the tenure of Shastri as vice-chancellor of Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) and not his dates of birth and death.

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Controversy over PM Modi's degree: 

• The controversy over PM Modi's educational qualifications was brought back after the Gujarat High Court said on Friday, 31 March, that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) need not furnish PM Modi's certificates.

• The Court has also imposed a ₹25,000 fine on Arvind Kejriwal, who had asked for details of the PM's degree certificate.

• PM Modi had said that he had completed his graduation from Delhi University in 1978 and post-graduation from Gujarat University in 1983, and in 2016, the party shared the degrees.

PM Modi's educational degrees made public by Shri @AmitShah : BA from Delhi University & MA from Gujarat university. pic.twitter.com/6A4pzGXLRl

— BJP (@BJP4India) May 9, 2016

• However, several Opposition leaders and social media users have raised questions over the authenticity of the degrees.

How did we find out the truth:

• We conducted a keyword search for KS Shastri along with a reverse image search of the viral image and found the same photograph uploaded on the website of VNSGU under "Incumbency Chart of Vice-Chancellor".

• According to the page, Shastri was the vice-chancellor of VNGSU from 22 August 1980 to 13 July 1981.

• We further added Gujarat University in the keyword search and found the list of vice-chancellors of Gujarat University uploaded on the University's website.

• The website listed Shastri as the vice-chancellor from 1981 to 1987.

• This shows that Shastri was the VC of Gujarat University in 1983.

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More about KS Shastri:

• While going through more search results, we came across a report published in the Times of India on 24 November 2003, titled, “Arrest a Modi conspiracy: Shastri”. 

• According to reports, the former vice chancellor and his son were arrested on charges of corruption after being accused of carrying out an illegal “fee hike”. 

• Shastri had retorted and claimed that his arrest was a conspiracy by the then Modi government in Gujarat.

• We also found reports about Shastri being manhandled during a teacher’s meeting in 2012.

• Lastly, Shastri was one of the members of the “advisory committee” of Som-Lalit Education and Research Foundation in its prospectus from 2016.

• These show that Shastri didn't die in 1981.

Conclusion: It's clear that the vice-chancellor who signed PM Modi's post-graduate certificate in 1983 didn't die in 1981.

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