July 4: Two anxious students seeking admission to Jai Hind College found a saviour in Dhunji Merwanji Hansotia who promised to get them seats. They were convinced when he also claimed to be a press reporter. However, his cover was blown by the alert principal of the college.The 42-year-old imposter was arrested on Friday by the police on charges of inducing students to part with their college and admission fees. The Assistant Commissioner of Police (Colaba) B N Kandale has issued a press release warning parents and students against many more Hansotias doing rounds of city colleges these days.Hansotia's arrest was a rare case. A large number of touts and agents go scot-free every year. All the interim court orders of the state government to give preference to merit seem to have no impact on these commercial agents of education. They even advertise in reputed newspapers offering `any desired seats.'Though the state government admits to the existence of such agents, the officials are reportedly unable to take any action for want of concrete evidence.The Principal Secretary of Higher and Technical Education, N L Lakhanpal, told Express Newsline on Friday that the state has already collected some of the concerned advertisements that appeared recently and will attach them to their petition on centralised admissions in the high court.``Yes, the touts are successfully operating in connivance with the college authorities for the past many years. However, this year the racket is not so rampant. However, I will ask my officials and the police, if needed, to look into the matter,'' said Lakhanpal, adding that centralisation now seems to be the only solution.On the condition of anonymity a parent confessed to Express Newsline that he had paid Rs 15,000 to one such tout to get his son admitted to FYJC in a reputed college in Matunga. ``I had no other option as my son had passed with a second class in the SSC examination,'' he added.President of Forum For Fairness In Education Bhagvanji Raiyani stated that around a fortnight ago he had written to the state education department informing the whereabouts of one such agent active in the suburbs. However, no action has been taken so far.``Actually we had received similar complaints in the past too, but even the police threw up their hands as the touts got away by saying that they were only helping students to fill up admission forms. The students back out when we ask them to furnish evidence,'' stated Lakhanpal.The modus operandi is quite simple. The students apply for admissions in several colleges. Once they manage a seat in one of the colleges, their names are supposed to be deleted from the merit lists of other colleges. However, some of the unscrupulous colleges retain the names. Soon the touts come into the picture to do underhand dealings.The Principal of D G Ruparel College, Dr P M Sule, felt that such shady operations usually take place after the third merit list is put up.Meanwhile, in the absence of Education Minister Sudhir Joshi, the Minister of Higher and Technical Education, Datta Rane, has asked the Deputy Director of Education, J M Abhyankar, to take action against certain minority institutes that have flouted state norms for FYJC admissions. The second FYJC merit list is scheduled to be put up in all the colleges on Saturday.
