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HC orders CBI probe into irregularities in all nursing colleges in Madhya Pradesh
In August 2022, HT had highlighted how ghost nursing colleges were being run in Madhya Pradesh for providing degrees to students.
Bhopal/Jabalpur: The Madhya Pradesh high court on Wednesday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe all 670 nursing colleges registered in 2020-21 in the state amid allegations of large-scale irregularities in the functioning of the higher educational institutions.
A bench comprising chief justice Ravi Vijaykumar Malimath and justice Vishal Mishra passed the order while hearing a petition filed by the state Law Student Association, alleging widespread fraud in nursing colleges across Madhya Pradesh. The order was yet to be uploaded.
“The bench directed CBI to probe infrastructure, faculty, students’ enrolment, and affiliated hospitals of all nursing colleges of Madhya Pradesh and submit its report within three months,” government advocate Suyash Thakur said.
READ | CBI to investigate nursing college irregularities: Madhya Pradesh High Court
The petition, filed in January last year, has alleged that in the academic session 2020-21, the state government gave recognition to 55 nursing colleges that were found to be ghost colleges without any infrastructure and faculties.
Later, more colleges were found running only on paper and yet providing degrees to students without imparting any theoretical and practical education, the petition added.
In the course of the hearing, the high court was informed that one teacher was found working in multiple colleges simultaneously.
READ | MP’s ghost nursing colleges: Degrees, but no students or training
“The government has removed the administrator and appointed a registrar. Apart from this, only cosmetic action has been taken in the matter,” the bench had earlier said.
Meanwhile, CBI also moved an application seeking additional staff for probe. The court directed the state government to provide additional staff to the federal probe agency.
Earlier, the high court had ordered a CBI probe into irregularities in the colleges based in Gwalior and Indore only.
In the three-part series in August 2022, HT had highlighted how ghost nursing colleges were being run in Madhya Pradesh for providing degrees to students. The colleges were being run only on papers without staff, students, teachers and 100-bed hospitals — a mandatory requisite to get recognition.
