Something is rotten at Mumbai's Wilson College

The Historic Wilson College is once again shrouded in controversy after some professors alleged mismanagement and gross violation of university rules They have even written to the vicechancellor of University of Mumbai complaining against the college principal and the management about norms being floutedAccording to the professors auditoriums inside the Makichan Hall the hostel have been given to an event management company Meanwhile the gymkhana is allegedly managed by outsiders and the ground is rented out for weddings and other functions PicsSameer MarkandeldquoOne of the biggest violations is that therersquos huge misappropriation of funds they use government funds from the aided section of the college to facilitate unaided coursesEven the teachers hired for unaided courses have not been approved by the universityrdquo said one of the professors The aided courses include BSc BCom BA and their corresponding masters courses Unaided ones include BMM BMS etcThe letter also mentions the manner in which a Chemistry professor was appointed without any intimation sent to the university ldquoThe university has already taken cognisance of the matter and a committee has been set up to investigate the process involved in hiring the professorrdquo added the professorSome of the professors have also continuously complained to the police about a lsquoproxy principalrsquo who visits the college The management however refuses to take actionOutsiders in the collegeAnother serious accusation is that college property is slowly being handed over to outsiders for maintenance The gymkhana situated at Marine Drive is allegedly in the hands of outsiders who have nothing to do with the college administration ldquoStudents who visit the gymkhana are scared for their safety the management is turning a blind eye to their problemsThe gymkhana ground is leased out for weddings and there is no account of the funds collected through these functions Recently a pamphlet was distributed around the campus stating that the hostel building which is situated opposite the campus would be open for weddings and other functions and some outsiders are managing itrdquo added the professorThe Mackichan Hall a hostel for nearly 70 male students is built on government land and leased out to the college trust However at present an event management company functions from the hostel premisesWhen this reporter visited the site to inquire about the usage of college property for their personal office one of the organisers Shrirang Sawant said ldquoThe college has given us the authority to run the two halls situated within the hostelWe rent it out for weddings as well as other functionsrdquo One hall in this property along with the lawn is available for Rs 35000 for six hours There are three such airconditioned halls inside the hostelSome students pointed out how during these functions hordes of people walked in and out of their hostel even at 10 pm ldquoWe thought about complaining to the hostel authorities but we doubt anything will changeWe will write to our college managementrdquo said one student One of the professors has also written to the collectorrsquos office highlighting the problem But no action has been taken as yetWhen midday contacted the collector and district magistrate of Mumbai Shaila A she said the gymkhana land is government property and can be leased out only with the permission of the collectorrsquos officeldquoMany gymkhanas rent their property for functions but the rule clearly states they have to first seek our permissions and also submit a deposit for the same We will check if this college gymkhana is following the rulesrdquo she saidPunished for protestThe professors say they are facing flak from college authorities for raising their voices One of them has also received an eviction notice asking him to leave the college One of these professors has also submitted an affidavit to the university under the recently approved Whistleblowers Protection ActldquoThe university has acknowledged my affidavit and also wrote to the college but the authorities here have refused to acknowledge this letterrdquo he added ldquoLast Sunday bouncers and dubious elements attempted to assault one of us The miscreants chased him till Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan and when he went to file a police complaint the police refused to register even a noncognisable offencerdquo added another professorThe professors have also written to the Maharashtra Governor and the state minister for higher and technical education Rajesh Tope They have also approached the state human rights commission ldquoIrsquom receiving threat calls from strangers for raising my voice against injustice but I hope some action will be initiated soonrdquo added the professor