Every headline screamed the same, why would 1,400 teachers quit in Bihar. Just like that?

To avoid far-reaching and hard consequences, that's why.

There were about 3,50,000 primary teachers in the state and the High Court of Bihar was concerned that as many as 25,000 did not have the proper training to teach. It acted on its concerns by announcing an amnesty period (a time duration during which people can confess to their crimes) and put out the message loud and clear — if those teachers who have falsified their degrees wanted to avoid legal ramifications, they should quit. That's how over 1,400 teachers came to quit their jobs.

It was expected that a lot more would resign, fearing legal actions. After all, the necks on the line were of all those teachers who joined service after 2006. With the state of education in rural areas being in a dismal condition already, the fake degree probe revealed just one of the many problems that plagues the system.

It was a slew of PILs filed by activists that put things in motion. They alleged that fake educational degrees played a huge role in getting a few 'teachers' their current jobs.