Varsity pitches for blacklisted college

The AC passed a resolution on January 31 on the basis of a fact-finding committee report that the college at Byculla should not be allowed to conduct admissions. A three-member university committee, which inspected the college, had noted that8220;Except for applying for recognition from the National Council for Teachers8217; Education, none of the inadequacies, irregularities and shortcomings have been rectified. The college management has therefore shown total disregard for the requirements of the university for the proper conduct of a college of education.8221;

The panel also noted that the principal of the college was not the seniormost person and that teaching posts were not properly filled. Again, none of the appointments made by the college were approved by the university. It was also found that students directly admitted by the college in 1997-98 were charged Rs 20,500 when 50 percent of them were to be admitted on a payment of just Rs 8,500. The committee was informed that the excess amount of fees collected had been refunded 8212; totalling up to Rs 12,000 8212; from 50 percent of the students, but the college was not able to produce any documentary evidence to that effect. The committee also found that the space allocated for the college wasinadequate.

Therefore, the panel suggested that the Khilafat college should not be allowed to start admissions. Along with this, three other colleges were also told to suspend admissions 8212; SSMP8217;s Gurukrupa College of Education and Research at Kalyan, MCES8217; College of Education at Mumbra and Oriental Educational Trust8217;s National College of Education at Thane.

Khilafat trustees then gave the university an undertaking that the shortcomings would be rectified within three months. In a letter to the vice-chancellor, chairperson of the All-India Khilafat Committee, Dr Rafiq Zakaria, stated that suspension of admissions amounted to closing down the college, and that it would do 8220;immense harm to the Urdu-medium schools in the city who rely on our college for trained and qualified teachers8221;.

Also, the college mentioned that it had obtained more area from tenants and that construction had already begun. As far as appointments were concerned, college authorities said they were not able to get qualifiedcandidates despite repeated advertisements.

This seemed to be enough to convince the university that the college deserved another chance, though the decision to suspend admissions had already been reported to the state government and the National Council for Teachers8217; Education.

On March 26, Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr Naresh Chandra called a meeting, where the now-disbanded committee8217;s members were present in their capacity as deans, and also the Khilafat management. It was suggested that the matter should be placed before the AC again. After the meeting, a committee member wrote to the vice-chancellor that the matter should not be reconsidered, university sources reveal.

Yet, university officials raked up the issue again at the last AC meeting held on April 15 on the basis of the representation made by the college. Officials even expressed fears that college authorities might go to court if the decision was not revoked, say sources. But the council finally decided to stand by its earlier resolution.

DrChandra stated that the university had decided to place the item before the AC as the management presented 8220;certain facts, and gave an undertaking to make up for the shortcomings8221;. There was no pressure from the management to restart admissions, he said, adding that Gurukrupa college8217;s case was also considered.