College rapped for ‘claiming’ topper :- 11.6.12-TOI

Boasts Of Coaching AIEEE Rank-Holder In Hyd, Delhi Press Conferences

Hyderabad: A day after the results of the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) got released, a private junior college chain drew flak for claiming that it had coached Sandeep Pathry, the top ranking candidate in the B Tech stream, who is a student based out of Delhi.
    Pathry has got 346 marks out of 360 in the B Tech stream and is a student of the Boys’ Senior Secondary School in New Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar. While on June 9, the college made no mention of its ties with the student, the management held news conferences in the city and in New Delhi on Sunday claiming that he had been coached by them.
    Interestingly, when the boy spoke to the media on June 9, he made no mention of any links with the college chain which is based in Hyderabad. On Sunday, however, the college announced that Pathry had taken coaching at their centre in the national capital. The publicity drew flak with government college associations across the state campaigning against the alleged rank purchase. The secondary education departmenthas announced that an enquiry will be held in the matter.
    Speaking to the media, representatives of the government junior college lecturers’ association said that a national-level enquiry should be made into the allegations of ‘rank purchase’ in this case.
    “A lot of money is pumped in for publicity involving rankholders in all India examinations like IIT-Joint Entrance Examination and AIEEE. In this case, it is clear that there has been some sort of underhand dealing which has to be probed,” averred P Madhusudan Reddy, general secretary of the Government Junior College Lecturers’ Association.
    Reddy alleged that this is not the first time that private colleges in the state have resorted to such practices. “Last year as well, one of the top rankers in IITJEE was “claimed” by a corporate college. The student was originally from a lesser-known institution, KKR Gautham, but a junior college claimed that he attended their coaching classes,” alleged Reddy.
    Those in the know, including teachers’ union representatives in the state who have campaigned against alleged rank purchase, claim that some private junior colleges in AP are willing to pay up to Rs 2 crore to parents of rank-holders in exchange for aiding their publicity effort,” said Reddy
    Those alleging foul play said that the state should bring in a law preventing private institutions from indulging in illegal activities.