The management of Khar Education Society (KES) College, which has refused to admit the fresh batch of students, claimed that they are seeking closure of both their junior and degree college sections as part of the institute building has become unsafe and unhygienic.
Speaking to media persons on Friday, KES office bearers said that they decided to take the drastic step after a ‘structural inspection’ in May revealed that the third floor of the institute’s building, which also houses three schools and a pre-school besides higher classes, had become unfit for use. This, according to the management, created a scarcity of space, leaving them no option but to apply for the college to be shut down. The society has now decided to re-develop the entire structure, while the existing batches of students graduate out of the institute in the next couple of years.
The society, which counts the former prime minister Indira Gandhi among its alumni, has been turning away the students seeking admission to its junior and degree colleges for the academic year 2024-25.
The refusal irked the students, especially the First Year Junior College (FYJC) candidates, who were allotted seats at the institute in the first round of the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) and are now left without a spot. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which took up the issue on behalf of the aspirants, criticised the college for submitting the proposal for closure at the eleventh hour.
However, the management, in its defense, said that they learned about the precarious condition of the building only recently.
“While the original building is 85-year-old, the third floor, which is a hybrid structure, was added 40 years ago. We have been carrying out repair work periodically. But when we started the repairs in the summer vacation this year, we realised that it won’t be enough and the entire structure needs to be reconstructed. Besides, there have been seepages and leakage during monsoon, making the place unhygienic for use,” said an office bearer.
The management said that while both the University of Mumbai (MU) and the Deputy Director of Education (Mumbai region) have acknowledged the requests for closing the degree and junior college, respectively, the proposal is yet to be approved.
The management has assured that the proposal will have no bearing on the existing students, who will be able to continue studying at the institute till they complete the course. The authorities also said that they won't lay off any of the college staff.
“All the other institutes of KES will continue to function as it is. The campus will continue to be used for educational purposes only even after the redevelopment,” said a society functionary.
