The Maharashtra government has directed strict action against educational institutions that mislead students by offering unapproved courses and fake degrees. Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil said protecting students’ education remains the government’s top priority.
He asked officials to file criminal cases against such institutions without delay. The directions came after a fraud case involving a college in Bandra East. Officials said more than 132 students were admitted to courses that did not have approval from the required authorities.
During the review, Patil said the college was allowed to run an architecture course. However, it was also allegedly running other courses that were not approved by the University Grants Commission. He ordered the department to immediately take legal action against those responsible.
The review meeting was attended by Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mumbai Ravindra Kulkarni, Director of Technical Education Vinod Mohitkar, Director of Higher Education Shailendra Deolankar, and Principal Secretary B Venugopal Reddy. Officials said further action in the case will happen soon.
As per reports, many unapproved institutions attract students by falsely claiming government recognition. In many cases, students realise the fraud only after they have taken admission and paid fees.
Students and parents are asked to verify the approval status of courses and colleges before applying and to check official websites of the Directorate of Technical Education, the Directorate of Higher Education, and other concerned authorities.
To prevent such incidents, the minister directed the department to prepare a standard operating procedure to deal with unauthorised institutions. This is to protect students from academic fraud.
As per a report by HT, the minister also asked officials to examine the college’s recognition status under the Maharashtra University Act. Action will be taken under the Maharashtra State Act.
The government is also exploring ways to safeguard the future of affected students. Patil asked the Maharashtra State Academic and Research Council to study the case. The council will examine it under the “Recognition of Prior Learning” provisions of the NEP 2020 and suggest steps to protect the students’ academic careers.