AN INQUIRY into allegations against Jai Hind College charging an annual fee of Rs 1,000 from each student for Wifi has found “reasonable ground” in the charges raised by the Maharashtra Navnirmam Vidyarthi Sena. The college has said it was paying the price for being “progressive”. Advertising The report prepared by inquiry committee members, M S Kurhade, Dr Rashmi Oza and Dr Tukaram Gadhve, concluded that the capitation fee collected by the college, in contravention to the Prohibition of Capitation Fee Act, 1987, needs to be refunded. It said the university may take action against the college for taking the fee. Members of the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS), Santosh Gangurde, Vaibhav Shinde and Santosh Dhotre, had on August 8, 2016, and June 30, 2017, complained against the college for charging Rs 1,000 (from each student for a year) as Wifi fee. An inquiry committee was then formed by the vice-chancellor to look into the matter. Over 10,000 students were charged Rs 1,000 as Wifi fee that was not prescribed by Mumbai University, the complaint letter had said. Jai Hind College Principal Ashok Wadia said: “Wifi was an additional facility given to the students by the management on their request. The college was not involved. Those whose phones did not support Wifi were returned the money. Hence, it was not capitation fee. It was an effort from our side to be progressive and embrace the call of ‘Digital India’. Even for NAAC accreditation, Wifi facility is a parameter. Wifi is not part of the fee structure.” Advertising He added: “Not a single student had complained. The question is, should nobody put in the effort to be progressive and enhance the quality of education or use technology? Whoever does it is pulled down and we ask why India is not on the global map of education, no ranking etc.”

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