Though affiliated to NU, ‘bogus’ colleges offer open univ degrees

Nagpur: A day after TOI published an exclusive report on ‘bogus’ colleges operating right under the nose of Nagpur University, more such institutions have come to fore. Investigations show that all these colleges, though affiliated to NU, offer courses from open universities where manipulations in exam are relatively easy.
Many of the students TOI spoke to disclosed that they had first approached the Mumbai or Pune open universities to complete their degrees. However, officials at the city centres of these open universities directed them to such bogus colleges. They were told that they could get degree from Nagpur University, which had more value than open university, and that too without taking any efforts.
Most of these students hail from poor background or are from rural areas, and they approached these open universities after completing ITI or other such vocational courses. As they are working, they found it convenient to complete their degrees from such colleges, where classes are never held, nor practicals and viva-voce exams. “They offer BSc degree from NU, and BA and BCom from open universities,” the students told TOI.
Asked why NU was not taking action against such colleges, which are maligning the reputation of the university celebrating its centenary, NU public relations officer (PRO) Dharmesh Dhawankar told TOI that unless students come forward and lodge a complaint, the university cannot take action on its own.
“Board of Examination and Evaluation (BOEE) director Prafulla Sable told me they had raided Radhe, Atlanta and other colleges in June. These were operating from one room during the summer examinations. They found many discrepancies and therefore they shifted their papers to other colleges. These colleges were issued show cause notices by the Exam Section,” Dhawankar said.
When it was pointed out that admissions were still underway in those colleges, which was confirmed by TOI after visiting one of them, Dhawankar said he will apprise the NU administration about it.
NU officials told TOI that these colleges were among the 150 banned by Vilas Sapkal when he was vice chancellor. These were banned from taking admissions following stringent directives from Nagpur bench of Bombay high court, as they were operating without even a single full-time teacher or infrastructure.
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Sr citizen complains about college in his premises
After reading TOI’s report on Thursday, a senior citizen sent details about one such college, which he alleged was “illegally operating” from his small residential premises, and is not vacating his property.
Gopal Ambadkar had lodged complaints with NU administration and joint director of education in the city against the ‘Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (HBT) Arts and Commerce College’ being operated from his residential premises at New Subhedar Layout. But no action has been taken against the college till date.
The photographs sent by Ambadkar show there is no board of the college at the entrance, while students have to climb rickety iron steps to reach the classrooms. The classes are being held in a small dingy room while notices are pasted on the compound wall. According to Ambadkar, the college was being run from his premises for last two decades or so in gross violation of UGC norms.
Officiating principal A Bagde told TOI a court case was underway between the landlord and the college for eviction, and therefore he cannot comment on it. “We are still running the college from the same premises. We have sufficient number of approved teachers and currently university exams are underway in our premises. We have got all approvals. If we were illegally running the college, why NU or joint director granted us the permission,” he asked.
Ambadkar claimed the college was running from a 40-year-old building, and a major accident was averted when a slab collapsed and luckily no one was injured. “Still the college continues its activity from the dilapidated premises. We have also lodged a complaint at Sakkardara police station,” he said.