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After years of salary defaults, state takes over 7 Sinhgad trust colleges
The November 12 order, issued by higher education director Shailendra Deolankar, places the management of seven permanently unaided colleges under government control for three years.
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Pune: After years of unpaid salaries, mounting retirement dues, and repeated warnings from the government and courts, the Directorate of Higher Education (DHE) on Thursday took over the management of seven colleges run by the Sinhgad Technical Education Society (STES) for three years, citing neglect of institutional responsibilities and the need to protect students’ academic interests.
The action, taken under Section 3(1) of the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Management) Act, 1976, comes two days after the Bombay High Court directed the Directorate of Higher Education and the Directorate of Technical Education to initiate appropriate action against defaulting educational institutions in accordance with the law.
The November 12 order, issued by higher education director Shailendra Deolankar, places the management of seven permanently unaided colleges under government control for three years.
“The Pune divisional joint director of higher education has been appointed administrator to oversee their functioning on behalf of the directorate under Sections 3 and 4 of the Act,” the order stated.
HT has reviewed the order. It notes that the management failed to discharge its prescribed duties and responsibilities despite repeated directions from the department and the Bombay High Court. It also records that the prolonged financial distress and the management’s functioning had adversely affected employees and students, warranting government intervention in the larger public interest.
“Despite repeated directions from the department and the Bombay High Court, the STES management failed to clear employees’ pending salaries and retirement benefits. Today’s decision to take over the management of these seven colleges has been taken in the larger public interest, particularly to protect students’ academic interests. An administrator has been authorised to oversee their functioning for three years under the provisions of the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Management) Act, 1976,” Deolankar said.
The seven colleges covered by the order are Sinhgad College of Law, Ambegaon; Shrimati Kashibai Navale College of Education, Kusgaon, Lonavla; Sinhgad College of Arts and Commerce, Narhe; Nivrutti Babaji Navale College of Commerce and Science, Kusgaon, Lonavla; Sinhgad College of Commerce, Kondhwa; Shrimati Kashibai Navale College of Commerce, Erandwane; and Sinhgad College of Science, Ambegaon.
According to the order, teaching and non-teaching employees of these institutions have been facing irregular salary payments, non-payment of retirement benefits and pending arrears under the Sixth and Seventh Pay Commissions for several years. The department also took note of the severe financial distress faced by employees, recording that more than 13 employees had died by suicide amid the prolonged crisis.
The takeover follows a series of court directions and departmental interventions that failed to secure payment of the outstanding dues. The Bombay High Court had passed orders on July 17, 2025, and August 5, 2026, directing the society to clear the salaries and retirement benefits of petitioning employees.
The Pune divisional joint director subsequently issued several reminders between September 2025 and April 2026, asking the management to comply with the court’s directions.
Following hearings involving representatives of the society and the petitioning employees on September 10 and 11, 2026, the divisional joint director, through communications dated September 30 and November 4, directed the management to calculate and clear the outstanding salaries. However, the society failed to comply.
The directorate issued a show-cause notice to STES on November 5, asking why the management of the seven colleges should not be taken over under Section 3(1) of the Act. The notice cited neglect of prescribed academic responsibilities and the financial losses suffered by employees. The management did not submit a response, the order stated.
The department also referred to the Bombay High Court’s November 3 order in contempt proceedings and observations made during the November 4 hearing, when the court expressed serious displeasure over the society’s functioning and delays in salary payments.
In a separate order on November 10 in connected matters, the high court directed the Directorate of Higher Education, Pune, and the Directorate of Technical Education to take appropriate action in accordance with the law against other defaulting institutions for which orders were yet to be passed.
Reacting to Thursday’s decision, STES chairman Maruti Navale said the institution would comply with the Bombay High Court’s directions and extend full cooperation to the department and the authorities during the takeover process.
A crisis stretching back years
The latest action marks a significant escalation in a salary dispute that has plagued STES since 2017-18. Employees have repeatedly protested over delayed and unpaid salaries, retirement dues and other service-related benefits, while successive government interventions and court proceedings have failed to bring about a lasting resolution.
The crisis had also affected students, with faculty protests and non-cooperation movements disrupting academic activities. Employees have alleged prolonged financial hardship, with the issue eventually reaching the Bombay High Court.
The government’s latest intervention comes against this backdrop, with the department invoking its statutory powers to place the seven institutions under an administrator rather than allowing the existing management to continue.
