Nagpur University will come under the scanner of the Bombay high court for allegedly
committing irregularities
Eighty-five engineering colleges under the aegis of Rashtra Sant Tukdoji Maharaj
Nagpur University will come under the scanner of the Bombay high court for allegedly
committing irregularities by not following the Maharashtra University Act.
The Supreme Court on Monday, 25th July 2011, asked the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court to hear
and decide on a petition filed by college professor, Sunil Mishra, alleging that
the university permitted 85 colleges to allow their students to appear for exams
despite them not having completed 180 days of studies as the colleges themselves
were not granted permission to start before the prescribed time limit under the
Maharashtra University Act.
A division bench of Justices RV Raveendran and AK Patnaik asked the court to decide
the issue expeditiously and also revoked the Rs. 10,000 imposed on Mishra, a faculty
of the Central India Institute of Mass Communication, by the high court in November
2010.
Mishra's counsels - Prashant Bhushan, Sumeet Sharma and Bhanoo Sood - argued that
as per section 82(1) of Maharashtra University Act, the management must seek permission
from the government to open new colleges before last day of October of the preceding
year. The government has to grant permission before July 15 of the year in which
new college is proposed to be started. Permission received after July 15 shall be
given effect by the university only in the subsequent academic year. The act further
makes it mandatory for students to study for 180 days before appearing for examinations.
In the year 2006-07 and 2007-08, government granted permission to 40 and 45 engineering
colleges respectively, after July 15. Initially the students were not permitted
to appear for the examination as they had not completed 180 days. However, a resolution
was passed by the board of examination, Nagpur University, held in March 2007, permitting
the students to appear.
Alleging that this was violation of rules, Mishra made a representation to the vice
chancellor of the Nagpur University, who rejected his representation. After that
Mishra had approached the high court.
Courtesy: DNA India
