Distinction between intentional academic manipulation and inadvertent clerical mismatch

establishes that unintentional administrative slips must not be treated as fraudulent attempts to obtain educational qualifications. When records show an extraneous candidate from a different academic cycle was mistakenly substituted in an institution's external schedule without replacing the genuine student's internal enrollment or examination records, such an incident amounts to a simple clerical error devoid of mala fides or intentional concealment. Administrative custodians cannot apply punitive policies calibrated for counterfeit certificates to instances of minor clerical mismatch. (Pratima Das Vs State of Himachal Pradesh and Ors. | 2026 INSC 13)