Mumbai University chases money, opens for-profit coaching centre

The dust is yet to settle on the controversy over the renting out of the sports complex of the Kalina campus. But, the University of Mumbai has begun, on the sly, a for-profit coaching centre — the Academy for Administrative Career — at the JP Naik Bhawan on the Kalina campus of the university.

Enrolment for four-and-a-half months of coaching classes for administrative services entrance examinations (MPSC/UPSC) will lighten your purse by Rs10,000. There’s little relief for SC/ST students, who have to shell out 50% of that sum. Even an admission form costs Rs500.

Several city colleges run such centres, in which even students from the general category are allowed to enrol, with University Grants Commission (UGC) funds. Prof Malini Sharma of Bhawan’s College justified, “We get a UGC grant of Rs20 lakh every year. There aren’t enough SC/ST students to study. So, we allow other students as well.”

Pune and Aurangabad universities offer free classes for SC/ST students.

Vaze, Sathye and Podar colleges also have been running such centres for years now with UGC fund. But, university officials clarified that the academy is supported by the state government, not the UGC.

Senate member Sanjay Vairal expressed his surprise. “A few months ago, the department of the social justice had sent a proposal of a coaching centre for students from the reserved category with a budget of Rs45 lakh to the university. But the university floated its own profiteering centre.”

The university is offering coaching for NET/SET as well. A three-day workshop, starting on December 14, costs Rs800.

A university official said, “The state government granted Rs10 crore a few years ago to set up a centre. This could not be done. So, an academy was floated last year but it didn’t work out. This is the second attempt to revive it.” Dr Rajpal Hande, director of the Board of University and Colleges, was unavailable for comments.