Maharashtra: State govt strikes down recognition of ‘ghost college’

The eatery that stands at the site of Rao Junior College of Science at Sion East, on November 14. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

Months after mid-day exposed how certain colleges in the city exist only on paper or severely lack adequate facilities - but participated in the centralised online admission process nevertheless, the Maharashtra education department cancelled the permission of a Sion-based junior college run by Rao Educational Trust. In the wake of this newspaper's coverage, the department inspected the colleges in question, leading to the cancellation of recognition of the Sion college from where a pizza eatery is being run.

On November 14, mid-day, in a detailed report on the ghost colleges, brought to fore three junior colleges run by Rao Educational Trust. The colleges listed by the trust in the online admission system, at Andheri, Sion and Kharghar, were only on paper and no institutions were running at the address for a couple of years. The Rao Educational Trust, Andheri (West) received permission to run Rao Junior College of Science, Sion, in June 2018 provided they presented the sale deed/gift deed or rent agreement for 30-year lease, challan of Rs 30,000, audit of three consecutive years and fixed deposits mentioned by the government within three months.

The education department cancelled permission for the trust's Sion-based junior college on March 6. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

As the criteria were not fulfilled, the permission for the college was cancelled on June 24, 2020. The trust subsequently moved the Bombay High Court, which directed the department to hear out the trust and revoked the cancellation of the school on August 18 2020. A hearing was held in November 2020 in which the trust presented audit reports and produced details pertaining to the FDs prescribed by the department. Also, an extension of one educational year was given to the trust to pay a Rs 25,000 challan and produce the rent agreement.

Also Read: Mumbai: These ghost colleges admit students, but don't exist

The trust produced the challan but demanded more time to produce the rent agreement, citing the COVID-19 situation. The trust received an extension on September 2021, and in July 2022, it got a final extension to furnish the rent agreement by January 2023. During the inspection conducted by the deputy director of education (Mumbai), following mid-day's November report, a pizza eatery was found where the Sion college was supposed to be, according to its address. A report was submitted to the education department on January 12, 2023.

"While granting the permission in June 2018, it was clearly written that, if the department found that the school was being run at a different place from the address for which permission was granted, the permission was automatically cancelled. Also, after two extensions the trust didn't produce a rent agreement for the Sion college," said an official from the education department. On March 6, 2023, the department released the order under Sections of Maharashtra Self-financed Schools (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2012 and cancelled permission for the trust's Sion-based junior college.

"We conducted an inspection of the college after mid-day's report, during which we found the address provided by the trust of Sion college was incorrect. There is no college at the address. Subsequently, the report was submitted to the department, following which the order to cancel the permission was given,"said Sandeep Sangave, deputy director of education (Mumbai).

2018
Year trust got nod to run college

12
Day in January when report was submitted