Admissions ban on Bandra college lifted

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has lifted its ban on an engineering college from Bandra and allowed it to conduct admissions from the next academic year. AICTE’S standing appellate committee took the decision at a review hearing on Friday.

Earlier, the regulator had put Thadomal Shahani Engineering College (TSEC) under the ‘No Admission’ list for not having an occupancy certificate (OC) for one of its buildings and operating from a leased land. Later, the college secured an OC, could not meeting the land norms.

Similarly, AICTE took JJ Magdum College in Kolhapur off from its ‘No Admission’ list.

Meanwhile, two other city colleges — Watumull Institute of Electronics Engineering & Computer Technology at Worli and Saboo Siddik College of Engineering in Byculla — are still waiting for AICTE’S approval to resume admissions.

These colleges have been under AICTE’S radar after activists last year alleged that these colleges had violated norms.

While AICTE had denied them fresh intake, they received an interim relief from Bombay high court (HC), which permitted them to admit students with some conditions. AICTE then appealed against the HC order in the Supreme Court, which refused to stall admissions and referred the matter back to the HC.

City engineering colleges have accused the regulatory body of functioning in ‘highhanded’ manner. They alleged that AICTE is cherry-picking institutes at the behest of activists, instead of inspecting colleges impartially. They suggested that the regulatory body should focus on academic affairs.