Education dept initiates inspection drive of Jr colleges in Pune division

Officials will physically check all the classrooms, campus premises, laboratories and other student facilities of these colleges

PUNE In a bid to check and corroborate the junior colleges’ admission process, capacity and infrastructure, the state education department has started an inspection drive in the Pune division. Under this drive, education department officials will visit all registered junior colleges in the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad region and physically check all the classrooms, campus premises, laboratories and other student facilities of these colleges. The decision was taken after declaration of the Class 10 results ahead of beginning the centralised admission process.

In a bid to check and corroborate the junior colleges’ admission process, capacity and infrastructure, the state education department has started an inspection drive in the Pune division. (HT FILE PHOTO)

Mahesh Palkar, director, state secondary education, said, “The inspection drive has been initiated by our department and accordingly, all junior colleges in both Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad divisions will be checked. There were complaints about junior colleges taking more admissions than their normal capacity and also inadequate infrastructure in their laboratories. All these things will be checked and verified under this drive.”

The education department has formed teams of education officers and a total of 70 squads have been formed for the inspection process. While a total of 350 junior colleges that are registered with the state education department will be inspected over a couple of days before the Class 11 admission process actually begins.

The principal of a junior college in Pune on condition of anonymity said, “We have already suffered in the last two years due to the pandemic and mostly, the college premises and classrooms were closed for a long period. Now after a gap of two years and in the new academic year, classes have been started. Although classes were taken for a brief period last semester, this is the beginning of the new academic year. We are ready for the inspection but it is also necessary for the education department to support and guide us wherever we need help.”