Thane: Board cancels registration of Mumbra junior college

The state education board on Monday cancelled the registration of Mumbra-based St. Mary's Junior College. The move comes close on the heels of complaints from 190 students of the college, who claimed that they failed in the HSC exams because of its goof-up. mid-day had reported this on May 27 (‘150 failed students protest outside college').

FM Ilyas, president of Navnirman Foundation, a non-government organisation (NGO) that works for educational and social causes said, "There were 200 students of which almost 190 failed. Internal marks were not added properly to the student's final result. Students had to pay the price for the mistake that the college did."

The NGO even urged the state education minister, Vinod Tawde, and the chairman of the Mumbai division Maharashtra State Board, to initiate action against the erring college. Meanwhile on Friday, Madina Waris Ali, one of the 190 students who was frustrated with the development, attempted suicide by consuming over a dozen tablets for blood pressure meant for her parents.

"My daughter was running from pillar to post to get the error rectified. But, with no results for her efforts, she finally attempted suicide," said her mother. "She is now recovering at home."

Shahrukh Sayed, president, Mumbra-Kalwa Student wing, Nationalist Congress Party, said, "Students are frustrated as they are going to waste one academic year for no fault of theirs. Government should intervene or else one cannot rule out more such suicide attempts by these frustrated students."

Dattatray Jagtap, Chairman of the Mumbai Division of state board stated that the junior college has been de-affiliated. "The college did not have appropriate and qualified faculty members to teach important subjects such as English and Mathematics etc. The college was found performing very poorly on offering quality and maintaining standards of education, especially in the Science section. Hence the decision to cancel registration was taken by the board."