Govt orders criminal cases against colleges offering fake courses, degrees

Maharashtra's education minister orders action against institutions offering unauthorized courses, urging students to verify college recognition before admission.

MUMBAI: Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil has directed officials to register criminal cases against educational institutions that allegedly cheat students by offering unauthorised courses and fake degrees, asserting that protecting students’ educational interests remains the government’s top priority.

Govt orders criminal cases against colleges offering fake courses, degrees

The directions were issued after Patil reviewed an alleged fraud case involving Dr Baliram Hire College in Bandra East, where more than 132 students were reportedly admitted to courses that did not have the required approvals from competent authorities.

During the review meeting, Patil said the institution had permission to run a specific architecture course, but was also allegedly conducting courses that lacked recognition from the University Grants Commission (UGC). He instructed the department to immediately initiate legal proceedings against those responsible.

The minister also directed officials to examine the institution’s recognition status under relevant provisions of the Maharashtra University Act. In addition, he ordered action under the Maharashtra State Act for the Prevention of Unauthorised Institutions and Unauthorised Courses in Agriculture, Animal and Fishery Sciences, Health Sciences, Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, 2013.

Officials said many unauthorised institutions lure students by falsely claiming recognition from government authorities. In several cases, students realise they have been duped only after securing admission and paying fees.

Patil appealed to students and parents to verify the recognition status of colleges and courses before seeking admission. He advised them to check the official websites of the Directorate of Higher Education, Directorate of Technical Education and other competent authorities to confirm whether institutions and courses are approved.

To prevent similar incidents, the minister directed the department to prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to deal with unauthorised institutions and protect students from academic fraud.

The government is also exploring measures to safeguard the academic future of the affected students. Patil instructed the Maharashtra State Academic and Research Council to examine the issue under the “Recognition of Prior Learning” provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and recommend steps to protect the students’ careers.

The meeting was attended by senior education officials, including Principal Secretary B Venugopal Reddy, Director of Technical Education Vinod Mohitkar, Director of Higher Education Shailendra Deolankar, and Ravindra Kulkarni, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mumbai. Officials said further action in the case is expected soon.