Police inquiry ordered into Aptech computer courses

Giving his order on an application filed by the two students, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of the 33rd Court, Ballard Estate, V B Pokhale, recently directed the Mata Ramabai Ambedkar MRA Marg police station to investigate into the computer courses offered by Apple Industries Limited and its sister concerns Aptech Computer Education and Aptech Limited.

The application, which has accused Aptech of cheating, states that the students had joined the three-year MSE course in 1992 after reading an advertisement in January 1992. Counsel for the students, AbbasKazmi, said the prospectus given to the students mentioned the course was accredited to the National Computing Centre, UK.

Kazmi said the students had enrolled for the course at the Horniman Circle branch and paid the entire fee amount. The troubles began, he said, as soon as the two joined. Classes were never held on time, students were pushed from one centre to the other, and the teaching staff lacked proper qualifications.

8220;Despite all hardships, the students managed to complete the course in 1995, but to their dismay, they were awarded a MDSE on October 10, 1995, and not an MSE,8221; Kazmi said. He pointed out that this act of the institute amounted to cheating, as the students had been dishonestly induced by Aptech to join the course through its ad. He said many of the other students who finished the course are still jobless, and those who have jobs aren8217;t placed in positions they should have got, because of the MDSE certificate. Kazmi said the two students have asked for refund of fees through anotice sent by him on May 13, 1997. While Rao has a job, Fernandes is still jobless, Kazmi said.

The course brochure states the three-year course has been designed in consultation with industry experts and offers a stepping stone for those aspiring to be software development professionals. On successful completion of the course, the students were assured, they would be armed with the knowledge expected from a systems analyst or a project manager.

The course is divided into six semesters, the completion of which leads to a Masters in Software Engineering MSE.

Aptech, in its reply dated May 31, 1997, had expressed helplessness in the matter, saying that earlier, the information technology division was being handled by Apple Industries Limited. Kazmi, in his reply, said the franchise companies of the institute are just trying to pass the buck on to each other and trying to evade the issue.