NEW DELHI: The Democratic Teacher’s Front (DTF) on Tuesday wrote to the Vice-Chancellor of the Delhi University seeking urgent intervention on the matter of certain DU colleges becoming private coaching centres.
Besides, the elected members of the DTF sought an inquiry into the use of college names to promote coaching. The DTF, in its letter, highlighted that colleges like Swami Shraddhanand and Hansraj are using the college premises to charge huge fees from students in the process of offering coaching for different exams.
DU’s dean of colleges, Balaram Pani, said an inquiry will be held as colleges are not allowed to do so. Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh said he had no inkling that these colleges were indulging in such as practice. Recently, Ramanujan College had advertised a private coaching course for CUET only to withdraw following adverse public reaction.
Jitendra Kumar Meena, DUTA executive, said, “We have come to know that Swami Shraddhanand College is planning to start private coaching for IAS classes charging a sum of Rs 1,50,000 for a period of 3 years. Similarly, Hansraj College has been running this course charging fees of Rs 1,50,000 for this 3 year course. Ramanujan College had advertised Rs 12,000 course fees for CUET coaching.”
“The fact that all these details have been notified unabashedly on their college websites seriously derails the purpose and role of public funded institutions to impart quality subsidised education for all sections of society,” he said, adding that it is astounding that the principal of Hansraj College is demanding fees for such a course in favour of “Principal Hansraj College”, when it is hiring a private firm “Beacon IAS” to give private coaching.
DU academic council member Mithuraj Dhusiya, said, “Names of well-established DU colleges are being used to benefit private players and legitimise their business. Students enrolling in undergraduate programmes are being used as easy prey for coaching sharks.”
Principal of Ramanujan College, S P Aggarwal, told the Morning Standard, “We withdrew the poster of CUET crash course. When people start giving a bad name to good initiatives, it is better to withdraw them.”He said, “I wanted to integrate school kids to the college in order to prepare them for the university. There was another objective to offer structured programmes free of cost to marginalised students.”