Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 7: Nearly 400 Elementary Teachers Training (ETT) colleges in Jammu and Kashmir and officials of State Board of School Education (BOSE), responsible for granting and renewing permission of the course to the colleges have come under scanner of the Crime Branch, which today registered two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) in Jammu and Srinagar wings of the Branch in the scam running into crores of rupees.
Official sources told the Excelsior that out of 400-odd ETT colleges in Jammu and Kashmir, some of them were non-functional but were providing degrees to students from different States of North India after charging a hefty sum from them without giving them any education. Some other colleges had just hired a room for registration of the ETT courses and were not holding any classes.
Sources said the Crime Branch wings at both Jammu and Kashmir conducted Preliminary Enquiries into the ETT scam before registration of FIR at both the places for further investigations to identify and book the management of ETT colleges, involved in the scam and the BOSE officials, who were in-league with the management of the colleges apart from some touts, who had been mediating between students and colleges.
Two FIRs have been registered at Jammu and Srinagar wings of the Crime Branch under Sections 420, 468, 471 and 120-B RPC read with Section 5 (2) Prevention of Corruption Act against unnamed officers and officials of J&K Board of School Education, management of unidentified ETT institutions and other persons for granting affiliation/permission to the colleges in gross violation of norms and indulging in malpractices.
Sources said there were a total of 400 ETT colleges in the State-320 of which were functioning in Jammu and 80 in Kashmir. A number of them had been functioning only on papers as they were enrolling students on record, securing anything between Rs 45,000 to Rs 80,000 from the students of Northern Indian States, making some other students to sit in exams in their place and then providing degrees to them.
“The students giving bribe to the colleges had to come to Jammu only twice-once during enrollment and second while taking degree,” sources said, adding all this was being done with active connivance of the BOSE officials responsible for granting and renewing permission of the ETT colleges every year.
“Without direct involvement of the BOSE officials, such a major scam couldn’t have taken place,” sources said.
They, however, added that not necessarily all the ETT colleges would be involved in the scam but said: “we have reports that a good number of them had been indulging in malpractices to mint money from the students”. The BOSE officials responsible for inspection and renewal of permission to the ETT colleges were also hand-in-glove with the college management, they said.
A number of ETT institutions didn’t fulfill even the basic norms and standard laid down by the National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE) but had been allowed to run the ETT courses without issuance of No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the State Government, which had to be given after period inspection of the colleges by the BOSE officials, sources said.
Sources added that after securing permission/renewal from the BOSE officials by paying them a hefty amount, the management of some of the ETT colleges had appointed touts in various States including Jammu and Kashmir to manage students for them to take degrees without attending any classes. Even exams were given by some other youths in their place and after the results the beneficiaries were given degrees by charging amount ranging between Rs 45,000 to Rs 80,000 from them.
The permission and renewal to the ETT colleges had also been granted by the BOSE in gross violation or norms in order to confer undue benefits/favour upon these institutions in lieu of monetary benefits by abusing their official position, sources said.
They pointed out that the J&K Board had also carried out an inquiry into the scam. The Chairman J&K Board has forwarded the enquiry report of Joint Secretary BOSE, Srinagar to the IGP Crime Branch.
Asserting that the scam might run into several crores of rupees involving BOSE officials, ETT colleges management and touts, sources said the Crime Branch of Jammu and Srinagar wings would identify the accused officials of the Board, management of the colleges and touts involved in the scandal.
The ETT degree is must in some of the North Indian States like Rajasthan and Haryana for applying for the job of Government teacher.
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