The Maharashtra government has taken control of the management of 25 educational institutions under the Sinhgad Technical Education Society after concerns over unpaid staff salaries, disruption to academic operations and the educational impact on students, according to a report by Pudhari – Pune.
The state technical education department has appointed Dr Suresh Patil, joint director of technical education for the Pune region, as administrator for the institutions. The administrator will oversee their operations as the government seeks to restore regular academic functioning and address concerns raised by employees, students and parents.
The reported action follows allegations that teachers and non-teaching employees had not been paid regularly for several months. The report also said that academic work was not being conducted properly at the institutions and that students had complained about disruption to their education. Parents were reported to have expressed concern over the impact of the dispute and demonstrations on students’ academic progress.
The intervention extends beyond salary payments. The technical education department has placed the management of the 25 institutions under the administrator, putting the immediate responsibility for academic continuity and day-to-day functioning with the state-appointed official. The stated challenges include ensuring that classes and related academic work continue properly, preventing further educational loss and resolving the employees’ salary issue.
The report said the action also follows concerns about the implementation of court orders in the dispute involving the Sinhgad Technical Education Society and its institutions. The Bombay High Court has ordered that the organisation’s bank accounts and investments be frozen, according to the report. The financial restriction adds an institutional and administrative dimension to the question of how salaries, operations and other obligations will be managed.
The trustees, including managing trustee Maruti Navale, have reportedly been prohibited from leaving Pune. They have also been directed to mark their presence at Deccan police station every Friday. These restrictions form part of the ongoing proceedings connected with the dispute involving the educational society.
For students, the immediate issue is continuity rather than ownership of the institutions. Any prolonged disruption in teaching, examinations, administrative services or other academic processes can affect students even when their courses and campuses continue to exist. The state’s decision places responsibility on the administrator to keep academic work functioning while the wider legal and management dispute proceeds.
The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for November 19. The proceedings are expected to determine the next stage of the dispute, while the state-appointed administrator remains responsible for managing the 25 institutions and addressing the operational concerns identified by the technical education department.
