Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi has instructed the CID police to conduct a probe into complaints by students about a private vocational institution in hotel management allegedly issuing certificates that are not recognised.
The students had raised the complaint at an Open House held recently at the Raj Nivas. During a preliminary inquiry by the Grievance Cell (at the Raj Nivas), ‘it came to light that the institution was not registered as an educational institution but had obtained registration as `Shop/Establishment’, a Raj Nivas press note said.
“It did not have affiliation with National Council for Vocation Training/State Council for Vocational Training/AICTE or Tamil Nadu Technical Education. It was issuing Vocational certificates affiliated to Bharat Sevak Samaj, New Delhi and CTDS — Centre for Technical and Vocational Development Science of Tamil Nadu. The validity and the accreditation of these institutions were questionable. It was revealed that not only one such institution was functioning in the U.T., but many such institutions,” the note said. Taking cognisance of the report, Ms. Bedi observed that such institutions should be proceeded against as per law to ensure that gullible students and parents were not misled.
The complaint of students would be acted upon by the CID of Police and a case against the Institute would be registered, the press note said. The Lt. Governor also observed that it was equally important to evolve a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for running of such vocational training institutions.
The labour department and the education department as the nodal departments would evolve the complete SOP that would cover the aspects right from the process of obtaining licence, to the syllabus of courses, the recognised courses through the appropriate authorities/ universities. The SOP also to include clauses for periodical inspections of the institute to ensure that the Institutes meet the requirement infrastructural facilities, requisite faculties and standards of teaching, the Raj Nivas note said. The nodal departments — Labour and Education — should also create awareness amongst the student community to be aware of such institutions, the note added.
