The abrupt resignation by a high-ranking police officer following his date of birth controversy has created quite a stir in the police force and the media as to how this could have been concealed for so long. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Nepal Police Ashok Singh tendered his resignation to the police headquarters on Wednesday after it came to light that he had tampered with the document submitted at the time of joining the police force. Singh's citizenship papers show that he was born on June 5, 1967 while, according to his police records, his date of birth is December 30, 1968 – a decrease in the age by more than 18 months. Had he not decreased his age by a year, he already would not have been eligible to join the police force in the first place. Singh, who is also the Chief of Sudurpaschim Province Police Office, was a front-runner in the race for the post of Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP). If he had joined the police force using his real date of birth, he would have resigned as senior superintendent of police last year having crossed 55 years of age.

For sure, DIG Singh is not the only police officer who has tampered with official documents to join the security force. Barring the civil service in Nepal, the security forces, including the Nepali Army, and the teaching profession are said to be awash with people with forged citizenship papers, tampered date of births and educational certificates that can be bought openly in India. In March 2018, even the Chief Justice, Gopal Parajuli, was removed by the Judicial Council for lying about his birth date and remaining in office even after crossing the retirement age. While the government has from time to time tried to do away with the anomaly, verifying both citizenship papers and educational diplomas, especially if they are from a foreign school or university, can be quite taxing – at times enough time for an employee to retire or resign without being prosecuted.

Forging documents of any kind is a serious crime and must be dealt with sternly to deter anyone from indulging in it. Such offences not only bring disrepute to the institution one is working for but also dampen the morale of the employees or staff. Not everyone joins an institution with ill-intention, with most expecting to rise up the career ladder through hard work and honesty. It remains to be seen what punishment DIG Singh will be meted out as his resignation has been forwarded to the Home Ministry, which will decide whether to accept or reject it. To prevent people from submitting forged documents, especially related to citizenship, inconsistent dates of birth and educational certificates, it is necessary for the employer to go through them rigorously. But much of the anomaly regarding multiple birth dates can be obliterated if parents are made to register the birth of their child at the local ward office immediately. Only this birth registration document should be acceptable at the time of joining school. This birth registration number could also be used at the time of obtaining the National Identity Card, which has digitally-embedded information, later on to confirm one's identity, including birth of date and place.

Air crash report

One year after Tara Air's crash at Tirke Dhunga while on its way to Jomsom from Pokhara on May 22, 2022, the probe committee has blamed the pilots for the fatal accident that killed all 23 onboard the aircraft. Every time an aircraft meets with an accident, the investigating panel blames the flight crew when everybody is killed in the incident. The investigation commission has said the flight crew failed to maintain and monitor the proper course while inadvertently flying in instrument meteorological conditions with the terrain awareness and warning system inhibited.

Although the final report will be published in the next two months, the report has listed several contributing factors, including the flight crew's failure to follow the standard operating procedures, for the fatal accident. The captain of the ill-fated aircraft had more than 20,000 hours of flying experience in Nepali skies. But, how come an experienced pilot failed to judge the weather condition and follow the proper course is the main question. Another investigation panel formed to probe the Yeti Air crash in Pokhara last month will also make public its final report, which is likely to blame the flight crew for the accident. The main concern of the public is, however, ensuring air safety.

A version of this article appears in the print on February 24, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.