Maharashtra Higher Education Minister Chandrakant Patil on Thursday, 7 May directed the administration to file criminal charges against educational institutions found deceiving students, declaring that protecting students' academic interests is the government's highest priority and that any fraud will not be tolerated.

The Bandra College Fraud Case

Taking serious note of a fraud case at Dr Baliram Hire College in Bandra, Mumbai, Minister Patil ordered immediate criminal proceedings against the institute's management. According to a government release, over 132 students were defrauded through bogus courses and degrees at the institution. Investigations revealed that while the college is a recognised architectural studies centre, it had been running courses without approval from the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The Minister directed authorities to act under University Laws concerning the institute's recognition, and also invoked the Maharashtra State Agricultural, Animal and Fishery Sciences, Health Sciences, Higher, Technical and Vocational Education (Prohibition of Unauthorised Institutes and Unauthorised Courses of Study) Act, 2013 to proceed against the guilty management.

Warning to Students and Future Safeguards

Minister Patil cautioned aspiring students that many unauthorised institutions lure students with false promises or by misrepresenting themselves as recognised bodies. He urged students to verify the accreditation of courses on the official websites of the Directorate of Higher Education, the Directorate of Technical Education, or other competent authorities before taking admission.

To prevent such incidents in the future, the Minister directed the department to formulate a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). For the 132 affected students in Bandra, he suggested that the Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training (MSCERT) study the 'Recognition of Prior Learning' provisions under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to safeguard their academic futures.

CM Student Science Yatra: Rural Students to Visit NASA and ISRO

In a separate development, Minister of State for School Education Pankaj Bhoyar announced on Thursday that the state government has issued a Government Resolution for the 'Chief Minister Student Science Yatra' (Mukhyamantri Vidyarthi Vigyan Wari), an initiative aimed at giving meritorious students direct exposure to world-class research institutions.

Under the scheme, students from both rural and urban backgrounds will get opportunities to visit the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States of America and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in India. The programme aligns with the goals of NEP 2020, seeking to move beyond textbook learning and foster hands-on research and experimentation.

Programme Structure and Budget

About 2,148 students (taluka-level winners) and 20 supervisors will visit regional science centres in Nagpur, Pune, or Mumbai, at a cost of ₹20,000 per person, funded by the District Planning Committee. A total of 180 district-level winners and 8 teachers have been cleared to visit the ISRO centre in Bengaluru, with the government sanctioning ₹25,000 per person for this trip, covering students from general, tribal, and specially abled categories.

The top 51 young scientists from state-level exhibitions, along with 4 officials (55 total), will be sent on an 8-day trip to NASA in the USA. The government has approved a budget of ₹3.30 crore (approximately ₹6 lakh per person) for this mission.

Selection and Monitoring Mechanism

Transparent selection committees have been constituted, chaired by Block Education Officers at the taluka level, Chief Executive Officers at the district level, and Directors at the state level. The State Institute of Science Education, Nagpur, will oversee the entire programme.

Minister Bhoyar stated that the Government Resolution