Mumbai: Parents accuse errant college of cheating

This picture has been used for representation purpose only

Worried parents of students from Rao Junior College in Borivli registered a case of cheating on Tuesday after the Education Department proved to be of no help with regard to their children's upcoming Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exam.

The 120 students of the college are left in a lurch as their names are not getting registered for the exam. The college, newly formed by Rao Coaching Institute, known for training students for engineering entrance exams, lacks government approvals.

The HSC examination is to be held in February and the registration process is almost over. As the college lacks the state Education Department's approval, it is not getting the index number allotted by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. On Friday last week, parents had approached the office of the Deputy Director.

"We were told that out children will be accommodated in other approved colleges. But there has been no progress. Though one college agreed to accommodate the kids, the Deputy Director's office is asking for original documents which are with Rao college," said one of the parents, advocate Anoop Dhannawat. He registered the FIR with Borivali police on behalf of all parents. Students and parents say they feel cheated. "The admissions were done through the online process. If the institution lacked approval, we wonder how the college undertook the admissions in a regulated manner," said another parent.

Sharad Khandagale, Secretary of the State Board's Mumbai division, said, "The index number was not given based on a report by the Deputy Director of Education. The director's office stated in its report that the college lacks the required infrastructure, which means it cannot be an exam centre. The parents approached my office and we have again asked the Deputy Director to assist. The approval or accommodation will be decided by them."

Deputy Director of Education, Rajendra Ahire, did not respond to calls. An official from his office said, "The report on this college has been submitted to the State Board. They are trying to accommodate the students in other colleges."

When contacted, Vinay Kumar, MD and CEO of Rao Academy which runs the college, said, "We have already provided these students with the option to register from the nearby T P Bhatia College. The college administration is willingly transferring the documents to this college. We are also working on getting approval."

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates