Bombay HC Takes Suo Moto Cognisance Of News Report Claiming 300 Colleges Across State Had No Students, But Staff Were 'Pocketing Crores'

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court recently expressed shock over the fact that there were around 300 colleges across Maharashtra which did not have a single student but yet their staff are getting paid hefty salaries.A division bench of Justices Nitin Sambre and Sachin Deshmukh took Suo Motu cognisance of the news item published on July 12, in the Times of India, which read, "No Students in 300 Maha Colleges, but staff pocket crores in salaries.""The news item speaks of 300 colleges in Maharashtra are getting grants towards salary of the staff, however not a single student has taken admission in it. The aforesaid shocking revelation through the news item not only speaks of the wastage of the public money but also the mismanagement of the educational institutions by the Managements," the bench said in the order passed on July 15. In case, if the Management is not getting sufficient number of students in their institutions, the Statute provides for dealing with such situation and the staff of such institutions can be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the Maharashtra Employees of Private Schools (Conditions of Service) Regulation Act, 1981, Secondary School Code so also the Right to Education Act, 2009, the judges added. "We need to have the entire information before the Court and the remedial measures taken by the State Government. The aforesaid fact of 300 Maharashtra Junior Colleges not getting a single student but the staff are being paid is admitted even at the State Government level as can be inferred from the news item," the judges made it clear.In this backdrop, the bench appointed advocate Rahul Ghuge as the Amicus Curiae in the matter and requested him to frame the appropriate petition within a period of two weeks from today. The judges further directed senior advocate and Government Pleader DV Chauhan to provide necessary assistance to the Amicus Curiae.Therefore, the bench adjourned the matter for further hearing till August 04.Case Title: Court on its own motion vs State of Maharashtra (SMPIL 3 of 2025)Click Here To Read/Download Order

Bombay HC Takes Suo Moto Cognisance Of News Report Claiming 300 Colleges Across State Had No Students, But Staff Were 'Pocketing Crores'

Narsi Benwal

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