Pune: A day after opposition corporators raised the alleged NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) paper leak issue in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) general body meeting and demanded strict action against the concerned college, teachers and non-teaching staff of Progressive Education Society (PES) and Modern College, Shivajinagar, on May 19 issued a detailed statement defending the institution and urging the media and political parties not to malign the entire organisation over the alleged involvement of a single employee.
The controversy erupted after the arrest of a staff member of Modern College in connection with the alleged NEET paper leak case. During Monday’s PMC general body meeting, Congress corporators Chandu Kadam and Arvind Shinde, along with members of the Nationalist Congress Party/NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) staged a protest demanding strict action against the college and accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party/BJP of failing to protect the students’ interests.
A day after on Tuesday, teachers and employees of the institution said that the incident was ‘deeply unfortunate and condemnable’ but maintained that holding the entire institution responsible for the alleged actions of one individual would be unjust.
In a statement, the staff highlighted that PES was established in 1934 with the objective of providing education to students from ordinary and underprivileged backgrounds whereas Modern College, established in 1970, had contributed to shaping the careers of thousands of students over the decades. The statement noted that the institution had already taken immediate action against the accused employee. “Taking serious cognisance of the matter, the management and college administration suspended the concerned staff member immediately. This shows that the institution has acted responsibly and transparently,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, teachers and non-teaching staff condemned the demand made by some corporators to revoke the college’s recognition over the alleged NEET paper leak case. The staff said such a move would affect nearly 500 employees and thousands of students associated with the institution. “Demanding cancellation of the college’s recognition is equivalent to rendering hundreds of employees jobless. It is highly condemnable and irresponsible on the part of public representatives to make such demands,” the statement read.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, teachers and non-teaching staff condemned the demand made by some corporators to revoke the college’s recognition over the alleged NEET paper leak case. The staff said such a move would affect nearly 500 employees and thousands of students associated with the institution. “Demanding cancellation of the college’s recognition is equivalent to rendering hundreds of employees jobless. It is highly condemnable and irresponsible on the part of public representatives to make such demands,” the statement read.
{{/usCountry}}The teachers and staff further pointed out that around 4,500 employees work under the PES and many families depend on the institution for their livelihood. They added that the institution has consistently supported students through financial assistance, educational opportunities and guidance over the years.
Hrishikesh Kondhalkar, non-teaching staff member of Modern College, said, “The institution has already taken immediate and transparent action by suspending the concerned employee after the matter came to light. However, demands to cancel the college’s recognition without completion of the investigation are unfair and could seriously affect thousands of students and employees associated with the institution. We support a fair inquiry and strict action against the guilty but the reputation of the entire organisation should not be damaged because of one individual’s alleged involvement.”
Labelling the demand to cancel the college’s recognition as ‘baseless’ and ‘without verifying facts’, the staff announced a one-hour sit-in protest at Sant Dnyaneshwar Paduka Chowk, Fergusson College Road, Shivajinagar.
Principal of Modern College, Nivedita Ekbote, told Hindustan Times, “For the past few days, an unfair and misleading narrative has been created against Modern College, which is deeply unfortunate. Modern College is a reputed institution with a NAAC ‘A’ grade accreditation and a longstanding academic legacy. The demand to cancel the college’s affiliation without completion of the investigation is unjustified. The alleged arrest of the concerned staff member is an individual matter and should not be linked to the institution as a whole. It is also inappropriate to repeatedly hold the principal and college administration responsible without established facts. Teachers and non-teaching staff approached us expressing concern over the damage being caused to the institution’s reputation following which, they collectively decided to stage a peaceful protest.”