Bogus Educational Institutes running in Mumbai...

Shut down 20 bogus tech colleges: HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Wednesday directed the state education department to close down 20 bogus technical institutes in the state.
Nine of these colleges are in the city, a majority in Santa Cruz and Dadar, some in Pune and one each in Thane and Vashi. These institutions run courses in engineering and management studies and with their shut-down, about 2,000 students will be left in the lurch. The colleges may go in appeal.
This newspaper had broken the story in December 2006, which was relied on by an activist to file a PIL against the mushrooming of such technical institutes without proper permissions. The All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) had issued a notice last year, announcing that there are 169 unauthorised institutions in the country that conduct various courses, including engineering and even management. Besides, there are 104 institutes, which claim to have collaborations with foreign institutions.
On February 2007, the state appointed a committee to look into these colleges, following which a report was submitted in June 2007. In the meantime, the state had asked the institutes to stop conducting classes. The state found 64 institutes were in order and 14 were bogus, stated additional advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni. There were six institutes affiliated to Sikkim, Annamalai and Allgappa universities, he said, adding, “They were operating in Maharashtra without the state’s permission.’’ Following the revelation, the bench of justices Bilal Nazki and Sharad Bobde directed the state to seal these institutes and if necessary, prosecute the managements of these colleges. The court was responding to a PIL filed by Kalyan-based activist Dinesh Kamath, who raised the issue of mushrooming technical institutes with no AICTE recognition. Disposing of the plea, the court also directed that the state should examine if the promoters of any of the bogus institutes had been prosecuted and file a report in two weeks. So far, no cases have been registered.
The court directed, “Arrange to seal them if necessary, so that admission seekers are not duped.’’ Another 13 new institutes have sought permission from AICTE to start functioning. The HC, however, directed these institutes not to grant admission unless the permission was given by the AICTE.
ON THE SEALING LIST
IMET, Malad (west) A and B, Praxis Business School, Kalina Brotherhood Education Trust, Hindustan Institute of Technology, Borivli (east) Sai College, Andheri Swastik College, Dadar Academy of Pharmaceutical Management, Bombay College of Pharmacy, Kalina Hospitality Training Institute, Matunga, St John’s Paramedical College, Dadar Sai College, opposite railway platform 1, Thane Global Institute of Management Science, Santa Cruz (east) ITM Institute of Financial Markets, Vashi