UoP to guard brand name
News — By The Desk on November 5, 2009 at 10:31 AMSakaal Times: To curb rampant cases of misuse of University of Pune’s (UoP) brand name, the varsity plans to compel educational institutes to display prominently a letter of affiliation and list of approved courses on their premises. UoP is also consulting legal advisors on stringent punitive action to be taken against fraudulent institutes.
The seriousness of the issue was once again realised after police arrested directors of Phoenix Institute of Management and Research (PIMR) for duping 36 students with fake claims of affiliation to the UoP. The institute had no legal standing and its courses were also not approved by the varsity. The incident also underlined negligence of students while taking admissions to professional courses.
Speaking to Sakaal Times, acting vice chancellor Arun Adsool emphasised that students and parents should be extremely cautious while choosing an institute. He said, “UoP has a list of affiliated institutes and approved courses on its website. Students must verify the status and claims of institutes either on the varsity’s website or at the academic section. Besides, UoP will compel institutes to publish a letter of affiliation and list of courses approved by the university prominently and permanently on their notice boards. Action will be taken against errant institutes.”
UoP is also consulting a legal advisor about possible punitive action against fraudulent institutes. Filing criminal cases is one of the strongest actions in case of fake institutes. But in case where affiliated institute misleads students about approved courses or squeezes exorbitant fees, the University of Pune is left with very time-consuming options. It serves a show cause notice to the institute and then the case makes rounds of various university bodies, thus diluting the effectiveness of the action. UoP was trying to find a way out, added Adsool.
The Acting VC blamed students’ negligence in cases like that of PIMR.
He said, “The university certainly cannot shrug off its responsibility, but students and parents too are guilty of negligence. Universities are neck-deep in activities that are completely non-academic and hence cannot devote energy in generation of knowledge, which should be its prime objective.”
