Recently, our report said officials visited a private engineering college in Andheri and a pharmacy institute in Jogeshwari
FRA officials inspect a college. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Fee Regulation Authority (FRA) has begun conducting surprise inspections at private educational institutes across the city to check whether the students were covertly being charged excessive fees and whether they were being provided appropriate facilities, among other measures.
Recently, our report said officials visited a private engineering college in Andheri and a pharmacy institute in Jogeshwari. The next day, the team visited engineering colleges in Chembur and Wadala. A three-member team in a random order is conducting inspections after referring to grievances put forth by the students. After the inspection, a report will be created on the colleges to decide the next course of action, be it penalties, fee structure reviews, or more, said officials.
After visiting some colleges, it was found that many infrastructural claims by colleges were hollow. Halls on the premises were rented out for personal events like weddings while the students were taking exams an education specialist had cited in our report. Officials also flagged broken benches and tiles, unhygienic toilets and cafeterias. At a pharmacy institute, the students were being charged excessive fees.
The FRA has begun addressing grievance cases against Maharashtra colleges amid the admission season earlier where institutes have excessively charged students, under the guise of different labels like hostel fees, development fees and more. There must be strict fee regulation and students and parents must feel they have a voice within the system.
With the scrambling for seats, parents and students feel unable to speak out against colleges and institutes, fearing retribution. This avenue balances the equation and ensures that fees are kept in check and any other expenses are accounted for.
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