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Saturday, February 7, 2015

EIILM wants govt to take over

VISHNU NEOPANEY
The Eastern Institute for Integrated Learning in Management [EIILM], a private state university  based out of Malbasey in West Sikkim, has almost always since its inception in 2006 been in the news for the wrong reasons. Matters for the institute came to a head towards the end of last year when the Enforcement Directorate attached all its bank accounts in end-October 2014. The institute is facing several charges, some of which have reached the courts, and now, with even its bank accounts frozen, its sponsoring body, Malvika Foundation, has written to the Chief Minister seeking that the State Government take over the university. This letter is dated 01 January 2015 and the institute and its sponsoring body have since then also approached the High Court with an appeal to make the Sikkim Government take over the university.
Meanwhile, students at the university continue with their protest which is now about a month and a half old since they have not seen any relief from the university or from the state administration. The fate of the around 250 students enrolled at the Malbasey campus hangs in the balance and they had boycott their semester exams in December 2014 demanding clear assurances from the concerned authorities about their future. The university has neither a Vice Chancellor nor a Registrar at present and the only contact that students or authorities here have had with the university officials, an Acting VC, has been over phone or email. Earlier, the HRD Department had mediated in the matter and received an undertaking from the acting VC that the stalled semester exams would be resumed. This however did not come through and the student protest at the campus continues.
And now comes confirmation that EIILM and its sponsoring body want out and are demanding that the State Government take over the university. RP Sharma, one of the trustees of Malvika Foundation and currently the Acting Vice Chancellor of the EIILM, wrote to the Chief Ministeron 01 January, 2015 appealing on the behalf of the sponsoring body and EIILM for “accession” of the university by the Government of Sikkim. The five-page letter details that the university’s nine bank accounts operated from within and outside Sikkim and having deposits to the tune of Rs. 1.52 crores, were attached by the Enforcement Directorate on 18 October 2014 along with all the acquired immovable properties outside Sikkim.
The letter goes on to inform that the university suspended operations on 24 November, 2014 because it was facing monetary hardships, following which the students began their protest.
In the plea addressed to the Chief Minister, EIILM contends that “…the arbitrary action under the garb of powers of investigation by the police, the university has suffered an irreparable harm not only in terms of finances but also in terms of credibility. The reputation of the university has been torn to shreds and has resulted in adverse publicity. Sponsoring body is finding it very difficult to make appointments to the post of Vice Chancellor and Registrar as none is interested in getting embroiled in unnecessary controversy.”
Malvika Foundation, Delhi-Mathura Road, is the sponsoring body of the EIILM university which is also one of the sister concerns of the Rai Foundation established by Vinay Rai. The university is developed on an 8.7 acre expanse at Malbasey, Budang under Soreng Sub-Division of West District is offering degree courses in Engineering [B.Tech], Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Computer Application, Master of Science, Master of Business Administration from its campus. 
As mentioned, the university has also filed a writ petition in the High Court of Sikkim seeking court directions to the State Government to take over the university. In its prayer, the university has prayed to the Court seeking direction that the state government to take over the university along with all its assets and run the university.
The winter bench of the High Court has reportedly issued notices to the parties and directed that the matter be listed for 17 February.
At present, there are 250 students studying in various courses in different semesters, 27 teaching faculty members and 33 non-teaching employees.
When contacted, the Human Resource Development Department Director for Higher Education, Jitendra Raje, said that the matter was pending before the Court and that the State government is consulting with a panel of Advocates and will filed para-wise reply of the writ petition.
EILLM University, it may be recalled, is facing the charge of fraudulent act by fabricating records/ documents, committing instances of misrepresentation and forgery, having cheated lakhs of students and their so-called coordinators running their various off-campus institutions and study centres all over the country. Sikkim Police registered a case against EIILM University in 2012 and has already submitted chargesheets in connection with fake certificate scandal.

1 comment:

  1. If State Government take over the university then what about the students who did not got mark sheets and certificates even after completion of their degree or masters.
    Will the government give them certificates?

    ReplyDelete

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